Bechenheim
# Bechenheim

Bechenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Alzey-Land, whose seat is in Alzey.

## Geography

### Location

As a winegrowing centre, Bechenheim lies in Germany's biggest winegrowing district, in the southwest of Rhenish Hesse. Bechenheim is Rhenish Hesse's highest winegrowing municipality.

## History

In 824, Bechenheim had its first documentary mention in a document from Fulda Abbey.

## Politics

### Municipal council

The council is made up of 8 council members and the honorary mayor as chairman. The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:

| | SPD | FWG | Total |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2009 | 5 | 3 | 8 seats |
| 2004 | 3 | 5 | 8 seats |

### Coat of arms

The municipality's arms might be described thus: Gules a dexter arm embowed armed argent, the hand naked of the same and holding a beaker Or.

## Economy and infrastructure

### Winegrowing

Bechenheim belongs to the “Wonnegau Winegrowing Area” (Weinbaubereich Wonnegau) in Rhenish Hesse. Active in the municipality are six winegrowing businesses with 33 ha of vineyard under cultivation. Some 76% of the wine made there is white varieties (as at 2007). In 1979, 22 such businesses were still running, and vineyards covered 32 ha.

