Little bit of history by Pavlik_NL
Arnhem, also called "Gelders Haagje" (Gelderland Hague), is the capital of this province. It got city rights on 13 July 1233 from the abbey of Prum. In the twelfth century a toll house was established by the Count of Gelre, later moved to Lobith in 1233. Originally it became the capital of the Veluwe quarter, but later Arnhem became the capital of province Gelderland. Historically Arnhem has been the center of government and justice in the Mid-Eastern parts of The Netherlands. In the year 1487 the city of Arnhem was granted six guilds.
During Napoleontic times, Arnhem was ruled by France (1672 -1674 and again for 18 years beginning in 1795). It was finally liberated by the Prussian army in 1813.
In the beginning of the nineteenth century Arnhem and its surroundings provided a very attractive resort area for the wealthier residents of The Netherlands. Its popularity enhanced by the new rail access (the line from Amsterdam to Köln (Germany). In 1870 the interest began to decrease. The city began reorganizing to make more attractiveness. In this time Arnhem purchased land to develop the beautiful parks and - on the other hand attracted large (chemical) industry to provide jobs (Akzo). Tourist attrcations came with the Openairmuseum and the always expanding Burgers Zoo. Today visitors can still enjoy these wonderful attractions.
On the tenth of May, 1940, Arnhem was taken by the Nazi's. For five long, destructive years Arnhem was the center of the underground resistence against the Germans. After the Battle of Arnhem, the city was evacuated for months while the fighting raged. With the residents returning to the ruins of the old city center. The Eusebius Church was destroyed and all houses in the citycentre were badly damaged. The city was rebuilt quickly however, earning the residents a fine reputation for the quality of their post-war construction.On the picture a historical place in Arnhem for me. Here I was born and raised for the first four years. Second floor of the long appartmentcomplex near the square block, first corner appartment. The square building is the headquarters of "Rijkswaterstaat" (Governement-centre for infrastructure "roads and waterways").