Bedum is a municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 and a town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in the northeastern Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. Populated by around 10,000 (2005) inhabitants, Bedum is one of the larger of Groningen's several satellite towns.

Bedum is the site of three supermarkets, several pubs, and a leaning church tower, dubbed "the leaning tower of Bedum". Footballer Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...

 was born in Bedum (23 January 1984).

Bedum has a railway station - Bedum railway station

Bedum railway station

Bedum is a railway station located in Bedum, Netherlands. The station was opened on 15 June 1884 and is located on the Groningen–Delfzijl railway. The station is currently operated by Arriva.-Train service:The following services currently call at Bedum:...

.

The leaning tower

Bedum's 36-metre tower of the St Walfridus church

St. Walfridus kerk

St. Walfridus kerk is a church located in Bedum, Netherlands dedicated to Saint Walfridus. The church was founded ca. 1050.-Background:When Bedum became a place of pilgrimage because of the graves of martyrs Walfridus and Radfridus two churches were built, originally in wood; later, as stone and...

 has been calculated as now leaning at a greater angle than the leaning tower of Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...

. If both towers were the same height, Bedum's would have a greater displacement by 6 cm.

Population centres

• Bedum
• Noordwolde
• Onderdendam
• Zuidwolde
• Ellerhuizen
• Westerdijkshorn

Mayors

• 1860-1873 J.H. Leopold (previously mayor of Adorp
  Adorp
  Adorp is a village in the municipality of Winsum, in the Netherlands. It is located about 6 km north of Groningen.Until 1990, Adorp was a separate municipality.Adorp is next to Sauwerd and Groningen...
  
  )
• 1873-1878 W.J. Bekker
• 1878-1895 R.J. van Bruggen
• 1895-1909 dr H.V. Schleurholts
• 1909-1914 Simon Berman
  Simon Berman
  Simon Berman was the mayor of Kwadijk, Middelie, Warder, Schagen, Bedum, and Alblasserdam in the Netherlands. He was the first mayor of Kwadijk, Middelie, and Warder to actually live in one of these villages...
  
  (previously of Kwadijk, Warder
  Warder
  - Places :* Warder, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Zeevang* Warder, Germany, a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein- People with the surname :* A. K...
  
  , and Middelie
  Middelie
  Middelie is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zeevang, and lies about 5 km northeast of Purmerend.Middelie was a separate municipality until 1970, when the new municipality of Zeevang was created....
  
   and of Schagen
  Schagen
  Schagen is a town and municipality in the northwestern Netherlands. It is located between Alkmaar and Den Helder, in and region of West Friesland and the province of North Holland. In 2007, Schagen had 19.078 residents. It received city rights in 1415....
  
  , subsequently of Alblasserdam
  Alblasserdam
  Alblasserdam is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of , of which is water. Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden...
  
  )
• 1914-1917 Klaas van Sevenhoven (ARP) (previously of Stedum
  Stedum
  Stedum is# a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Loppersum, about 15 km northeast of the city of Groningen.#: Stedum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Loppersum....
  
  , subsequently of Onstwedde
  Onstwedde
  Onstwedde is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Stadskanaal.Onstwedde was also the former name of the municipality of Stadskanaal, until 1969.-External links: Map of the former municipality, around 1868....
  
  )
• 1917-1943 M. Jouwstra (ARP) (previously town clerk of Ambt Hardenberg
  Ambt Hardenberg
  Ambt Hardenberg is a former municipality in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It consisted of the countryside surrounding the city of Hardenberg, which was a separate municipality.Ambt Hardenberg existed from 1818 to 1941, when it became a part of Hardenberg....
  
  )
• 1943-194? I.G. Timmer (NSB)
• 19??-1962 J.N. Spoelstra
• 1962-1971 J.C. Lindeboom (ARP)
• 1971-1991 Albert Smallenbroek (ARP/CDA)
• 1991-2009 Wilte Everts (CDA)
• 2010-Present Henk Bakker (CDA)

External links

Map of the former municipality, around 1868.