Strümpfelbach belong to the ecclesiastical district of Waiblingen, while Beutelsbach and Schnait belong to the ecclesiastical district of Schorndorf. Because of the influx of Catholics from Bavaria during the building of the railroad and especially after the Second World War, Catholic ecclesiastical districts and churches took root in what is now Weinstadt. In 1956 the Church of St. Anna was built in Beutelsbach, and the Church of Saint Andrew was built in Endersbach. In 1971 Schnait received its own Church of the Holy Cross, the members of which belong to the Beutelsbach parish. Shortly thereafter in 1974, Großheppach also received its own Catholic church—the Church of Saint Stephen. The congregation of the Church of Saint Stephen, as well as the Catholic Church members from Strümpfelbach, belong to the parish of Endersbach. All of the Weinstadt Catholic churches belong to the Deanery of Waiblingen of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. In addition, the New Apostolic Church and the Jehovah's Witnesses are also represented. Population growth The values below are either the results of the census (¹) or the official published statistics for the respective city office (only primary residence). ¹ Census Results Politics City council Since the most recent local election in Baden-Württemberg in 2014, the city council of Weinstadt has had 26 members. Voter participation in that election was 52.42%. The results of the election were as follows: The mayor is the head of the town council. 1Free Voters Weinstadt e.V. (Free Voters Weinstadt), 2Grüne Offene Liste Weinstadt (Green Open List Weinstadt) Mayor The mayor is the immediate head of the government of Weinstadt. When the city was recognized as a Große Kreisstadt on January 1, 1979, the mayor's title was changed from Bürgermeister to Oberbürgermeister. The mayor is elected directly by the eligible voters for an 8-year term and is the head of the city council. The mayor also has a deputy, whose title is Erster Bürgermeister or "first mayor." Mayors: 1975–2000: Jürgen Hofer (FDP) 2000–2016: Jürgen Oswald (CDU) 2016–present: Michael Scharmann Coat of arms The coat of arms of Weinstadt displays: "Unter goldenem Schildhaupt, darin eine liegende schwarze Hirschstange, in Schwarz eine goldene Traube" ("a golden banner, across which a deer antler lies, and on black a golden bunch of grapes.") The city flag is yellow and black. Both the coat of arms and the flag were awarded to Weinstadt on May 3, 1976, by the Landratsamt of Rems-Murr