Appingedam

Appingedam grew around a dam on the Appe and the waterway known as the Delf. With access to the sea and inland canals, it became a port where merchants, shipmasters and craftsmen traded goods bound for the Frisian countryside and beyond. In 1327 representatives of the Frisian lands recognised its town rights at Upstalboom; the charter recording them became known as the Neighbour Letter.

In the later Middle Ages Appingedam was a rival to Groningen. Its quays, church and fortified houses reflected the wealth of its trade, but Groningen's staple rights weakened that position. Conflict between the two centres culminated in a major defeat and destruction at Appingedam in 1536. The town hall built in the 1630s belongs to a later period of temporary recovery.