Büchel 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 Ulmen, whose seat is in the like-named town. Geography Location The municipality lies in the heart of the Eifel. Climate Yearly precipitation in Büchel amounts to 877 mm, which is rather high, falling into the highest fourth of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 75% of the German Weather Service's weather stations, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is September. The most rainfall comes in November. In that month, precipitation is 1.7 times what it is in September. Precipitation varies moderately. At 62% of the weather stations, lower seasonal swings are recorded. History In 1141, the Martental, which lay within the bounds of what is now Büchel, had its first documentary mention as a monastery. About 1238, an estate at Morschweiler was mentioned. in 1476, the Alflen (including Georgweiler and Morschweiler) high court's bench fell under Electoral-Trier sovereignty. In 1794 came the occupation by French Revolutionary troops. In 1815 Büchel was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. In 1873, Büchel became a parish, with the outlying centres of Georgweiler and Morschweiler belonging to the municipality. Since 1946, it has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Religion In 2007, 84.9% of the inhabitants were Catholic and 5.3% Evangelical. The rest belonged to other faiths or adhered to none. Politics Municipal council The council is made up of 16 council members, who were elected by majority vote at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009, and the honorary mayor as chairman. Mayor Büchel's mayor is Timo Pfitzner. Coat of arms The German blazon reads: Durch eine eingeschweifte Spitze bis zum Schildhaupt, darin in Silber sieben schwarze Kreuzchen, gespalten; vorne in Grün ein silberner Turm wachsend; hinten in Rot ein silbernes Säulenkreuz mit aus dem Rand wachsendem Sockel. The municipality's arms might in English heraldic language be described thus: Tierced in mantle, dexter vert issuant from the line of partition a tower argent, sinister gules issuant from the line of partition a post ensigned with a cross Maltese of the second, in base argent seven crosses, one, three, two and one sable. The seven crosses in the base stood as children's prayer and supplication places when they were visited for the