Neef is an Ortsgemeinde—a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality—in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell, whose seat is in the municipality of Zell an der Mosel. Neef is a winegrowing centre. Geography The municipality lies on the river Moselle’s right bank between Cochem to the north and Zell to the south. Neef lies just downstream from Sankt Aldegund, which is found on the other side of the Moselle. History Traces of human habitation reach back to the Middle 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 the Abbey of Echternach, where it was listed as vien-nense. The first unmistakable documentary mention, however, came only in 1049, when Neef was named as vicus Navis iuxta fluvium Moselanum. In 1248, the castle 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, the Electorate 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 of Albert 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 under French rule. Thereafter, the Stuben Monastery was a ruin. In 1815 Neef was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Under the Verwaltungsvereinfachungsgesetz (“Administration Simplification Law”) of 18 July 1970, with effect from 7 November 1970, the municipality was grouped into the Verbandsgemeinde of Zell. Politics Municipal council The council is made up of 8 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. Mayor Neef's mayor is Harald-Josef Franzen. Coat of arms The municipality's arms might be described thus: Quarterly argent and sable, first a cross gules, second an axe bendwise of the first,