Stein-Bockenheim

Stein-Bockenheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Location
As a winegrowing centre, Stein-Bockenheim lies in Germany's biggest winegrowing district, in the middle of the Rhenish-Hessian Switzerland (Rheinhessische Schweiz) in the wine region of Rhenish Hesse. The Steitz winery is widely known for its wines and also runs an inn for holidaymakers on the winery estate. Vineyards cover 160 ha of the municipal area while 390 ha is made up of meadows and fields. Stein-Bockenheim belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Wöllstein, whose seat is in the like-named municipality. Rising above the village is the 36 m-tall tower at the Evangelical church.

South of Stein-Bockenheim rises the Dunzelbach.

History
In 784, Stein-Bockenheim had its first documentary mention as Buckenheim.

Municipal council
The council is made up of 12 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.

Coat of arms
The municipality's arms might be described thus: Argent a Steinbock rearing sable langued gules and unguled and attired Or.

The municipality's armorial charge is the Steinbock, the Alpine Ibex. The charge, however, has no historical roots, and is likely a canting charge for the first syllable in the municipality's name, although this was added to the name only quite late in history, and may refer to the former landlords, the Rhinegraves zum Stein (“at the Stone”). The charge's name does also correspond to the second syllable in the municipality's name.

Regular events
The yearly kermis (church consecration festival, locally known as the Kerb) is always held on the third weekend in September.