Editing Netherlands (section)

=== Vriendendam ===
[[Vriendendam]] is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of [[Gelderland]]. The city had about 50,000 residents as of 1 January 2023.

The settlement traces its origin to 1944, when several ''vaders'' of an SS armored division active during the [[Battle of Arnhem]] built fortifications and a small group of houses north of Arnhem. After the war, the houses remained intact and were used by other ''vaders'' involved in post-war rebuilding, after which the settlement expanded in the following decades.

Until 2006, Vriendendam fell under the municipality of Arnhem. After rapid growth from the 1980s onward, the city became a separate municipality and held its first municipal election on 7 March 2006. The municipal council has 31 seats, and the local [[Vriendenpartij]] has been the largest party since 2006.

In 2016, the [[Milieuramp van 2016]] occurred after a leak from a large diesel storage tank north of the city. The safety region evacuated the [[Vriendendam Racetrack]] and an adjacent shopping center. After soil cleanup, the area was reopened several weeks later. In the present day, Vriendendam is known for the racetrack and multiple factories.