Neef | |
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 Coat of arms | |
Location of Neef within Cochem-Zell district  | |
  Neef  Neef | |
| Coordinates:50°5′30″N7°8′21″E / 50.09167°N 7.13917°E /50.09167; 7.13917 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | Cochem-Zell |
| Municipal assoc. | Zell (Mosel) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2019–24) | Harald-Josef Franzen[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.51 km2 (2.51 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 414 |
| • Density | 64/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 56858 |
| Dialling codes | 06542 |
| Vehicle registration | COC |
| Website | www.weinort-neef.de |
Neef is anOrtsgemeinde – amunicipality belonging to aVerbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality—in theCochem-Zelldistrict inRhineland-Palatinate,Germany. It belongs to theVerbandsgemeinde of Zell, whose seat is in the municipality ofZell an der Mosel. Neef is awinegrowing centre.
The municipality lies on the riverMoselle’s right bank betweenCochem to the north andZell to the south. Neef lies just downstream fromSankt Aldegund, which is found on the other side of the Moselle.
Traces of human habitation reach back to theMiddle Stone Age, about 4000 BC. It is believed that Neef had its first documentary mention about 698 in a donation document from Saint Hermine to theAbbey of Echternach, where it was listed asvien-nense. The first unmistakable documentary mention, however, came only in 1049, when Neef was named asvicus Navis iuxta fluvium Moselanum. In 1248, thecastle in Neef was mentioned for the first time. Heinrich von Heinsberg traded the castle and holdings in Neef,Kastellaun and Kirchberg with his brother, Simon von Sponheim, making Neef part of the “further”County of Sponheim. In 1299, Eberhard von Sponheim-Kreuznach founded a new branch of the family Sponheim named after Neef. In the mid 15th century, theElectorate of Trier enfeoffed the Lords of Metzenhausen with Castle Neef. Archbishop of Trier Johann III of Metzenhausen was born at the castle. In 1552, the castle was attacked by the troops ofAlbert of Mainz, who wrought great destruction. The lordship over the village was long shared by the Stuben Monastery, the Electorate of Trier and various noble landholders. Beginning in 1794, Neef lay underFrench rule. Thereafter, the Stuben Monastery was a ruin. In 1815 Neef was assigned to the Kingdom ofPrussia at theCongress of Vienna. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly foundedstate ofRhineland-Palatinate. Under theVerwaltungsvereinfachungsgesetz (“Administration Simplification Law”) of 18 July 1970, with effect from 7 November 1970, the municipality was grouped into theVerbandsgemeinde of Zell.
The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected bymajority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman.[3]
Neef's mayor is Harald-Josef Franzen.[1]
The municipality'sarms might be described thus: Quarterly argent and sable, first a cross gules, second an axe bendwise of the first, third a cramp bendwise sinister of the first, and fourth a cross patriarchal of the third.
The following are listed buildings or sites inRhineland-Palatinate’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:
Winegrowing andtourism are the underpinnings of Neef's economy. A side route on theMosel-Radweg (Moselle Cycle Path), which runs through the municipality, yearly brings thousands of tourists to the village, who often stay overnight.Vineyards can be found from the village itself right up to an elevation of 280 m. One peculiarity is the local vineyards at the bow in the Moselle near Neef: those on the Frauenberg and the Calmont are among Europe's steepest vineyards.
Running through the municipality is aKreisstraße which is linked by bridge on the village's outskirts toBundesstraße 49. Furthermore, hourly regional trains on theKoblenz–Trier railway stop at Neef after passing through the Petersberg Tunnel.
The Moselle itself is plied not only by cargo ships, but also by excursion craft. On the village's outskirts is found the St. Aldegundlock. The nearest major municipality isBullay, 4 km to the south and on the same side of the Moselle. Structurally more important, however areZell (10 km) and Cochem (23 km), the district seat.
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