Westhofen

Westhofen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.GeographyLocationWesthofen lies between Worms (roughly 12 km to the southeast), Mainz and Alzey in Rhenish Hesse and is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Wonnegau.HydrologyIn Westhofen rises the Seebach, Rhenish Hesse’s strongest spring. It is also the only spring in the region that rises in a valley. It is fed by groundwater from the Donnersberg area.HistoryWesthofen had its first documentary mention as far back as Carolingian times and was granted market rights in 1324. Westhofen’s importance in earlier times can be seen in the ring of defences around the village, which are still preserved, and which include a wall and several dykes.PoliticsMunicipal councilThe council is made up of 20 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.The municipal election held on 7 June 2009 yielded the following results:Coat of armsThe municipality’s arms might be described thus: Argent six grapeleaves conjoined at the fess point in pale, bend and bend sinister, all vert, growing on which three bunches of grapes azure.