Muntendam

Muntendam is a village in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, in the Dutch province of Groningen. The village has a population of 4,635 (2021). Muntendam had been an independent parish since the Middle Ages, but until 1840 it was ecclesiastically part of Zuidbroek.

Muntendam
Village
Muntendam in 2011
Muntendam Location of Muntendam in the province of Groningen Show map of Groningen (province) Muntendam Muntendam (Netherlands) Show map of Netherlands
Coordinates: 53°8′1″N 6°52′7″E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Groningen
Municipality	Midden-Groningen
Area [1]
• Total	12.88 km2 (4.97 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	2.2 m (7.2 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	4,635
• Density	360/km2 (930/sq mi)
Postal code	9649[1]
Dialing code	0598

From 1811 until 1990 it was a separate municipality, which boasted the title 'reddest (most socialist) municipality in the Netherlands', with a council of 11 containing 7 PvdA (Labour Party) members and 2 CPN (Communist Party) members. (However, nearby Reiderland had had a vast CPN majority since WWII, so the claim is rather too strong). When a new mayor had to be appointed in 1980 (at the time a municipality had no say in the matter), it was assumed that it would become a PvdA mayor as it had always been. However, the then minister of the interior, Hans Wiegel of the right-wing VVD, decided that this very left-wing part of the Netherlands needed a change and appointed a D66 (left of centre) mayor. This led to a cold reception and the first time a Dutch mayor was not officially inaugurated. Over time, however, people started to like him and when he moved to a bigger municipality there was even an action to keep him (to no avail). Not much later, the method of appointing a mayor in the Netherlands was changed, with the municipality putting up a request which is usually followed.

Gallery

• 
  Protestant church
• 
  Former town hall
• 
  House in Muntendam
• 
  Street view