Deventer

For the unincorporated community in the United States, see Deventer, Missouri.
Deventer
—  Municipality  —
Deventer skyline, showing the Lebuinus Church

Flag
Coat of arms
Location of Deventer in Overijssel, Netherlands
Country Netherlands
Province Overijssel
Area(2006)
 • Total 134.37 km2 (51.88 sq mi)
 • Land 131.31 km2 (50.70 sq mi)
 • Water 3.07 km2 (1.19 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
 • Total 96,596
 • Density 736/km2 (1,910/sq mi)
  Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Deventer [ˈdeɪ̯.vən.tər] ( listen) is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen (pop. 5,000) was merged with Deventer as part of a national effort to reduce bureaucracy in the country.

Population centres

Linde
Oude Molen

Associated hamlets at second level

History

Foundation and development in the Middle Ages

Deventer was probably founded around 768 by the English missionary Lebuinus, who built a wooden church on the east bank of the river IJssel. This was not the first human settlement at the location; from the Bronze Age to about 400 AD, there was a settlement at Colmschate, 4 km east of the city centre. Remains of this settlement were excavated between 1981 and 2006.

The towers of the St. Nicholas Church date back to c. 1200

The village of Deventer, already important because of a trading road crossing the river IJssel, was looted and burnt down by the Vikings in 882. It was immediately rebuilt and fortified with an earthen wall (in the street Stenen Wal remains of this wall have been excavated and restored).

Deventer received city rights in 956, after which fortifications were built or replaced by stone walls around the city for defense. Between 1000 and 1500, Deventer grew to be a flourishing trade city because of its harbour on the river IJssel, which was capable of accommodating large ships. The city was a member of the Hanseatic League.

One of the commodities it traded in, dried haddock and cod from Norway, gave the citizens the nickname they carry to this day: "Deventer Stokvis" In the 15th century, Deventer had a common mint, where coins for the three IJssel cities Deventer, Zwolle, and Kampen were made.

Deventer is the place of birth of Geert Groote and home to his Brethren of the Common Life, a school of religious thought that was of great influence on Thomas a Kempis and Erasmus in later times. Together with Haarlem it was among the first cities to have printing presses, dating back to as early as 1477. From around 1300, it also housed a Latin School, which became internationally renowned, and remained in service in changing forms until 1971. Its most famous pupil was the scholar Desiderius Erasmus, who was born in 1466 and attended the school from 1475 to 1484.

16th–20th century

Deventer in c. 1550
1652 map of Deventer by Willem and Joan Blaeu

Between 1500 and 1800, the mass of water flowing through the IJssel decreased, decreasing the importance of Deventer's harbour. The competition with trade centres in Holland, as well as the religious war between 1568 and 1648, brought a decline in the city's economy.

In the 18th century, the iron industry came to Deventer. East of the town, so-called "oer", riversand containing iron, was found as early as 900. From this material, ore was produced and brought to town. The main road of the villages Okkenbroek, Lettele and Schalkhaar is still named Oerdijk (Ore Dyke).

In the 19th century, Deventer became an industrial town. Bicycles (Burgers), carpets (Koninklijke Deventer Tapijtfabriek), tins and cans for food and drinks (Thomassen & Drijver), cigars (Horst & Maas en Bijdendijk & Ten Hove), foundry and heavy machinery (Nering Bögel), and textiles (Ankersmit) were produced until the mid to late 20th century. Some of these industries are still thriving today, such as beds and accessories (Auping) and publishing (Wolters-Kluwer, now with headquarters in Amsterdam)

World War II

Deventer has seen few military engagements throughout its long history, although it was a garrison city of the Dutch cavalry. The industrial area and harbour were bombed heavily during World War II. The city centre has been largely spared, thus offering a view that has remained largely unchanged for the past few centuries.

The female Jewish poet and writer Etty Hillesum lived in Deventer during the war before being deported to Auschwitz.

In Schalkhaar, a village only 2 km northeast of the city centre, barracks were used by the German occupying forces to train Nazi policemen. The compound is now a centre for asylum seekers.

Deventer has been somewhat popular with the film industry. During the production of the movie A Bridge Too Far all of the scenes taking place in nearby Arnhem were filmed in Deventer - as Arnhem itself had lost its historic center.

Modern Times

The city's trade and industry is still of some importance. The city is host to a factory producing central heating systems, and still has offices of editor and publisher Wolters-Kluwer, which is a major player in international scientific and legal publishing.

The Deventer honey cake (Bussink Deventer Koek), produced in Deventer for over 500 years, is still manufactured locally and sold all over the Netherlands and beyond.

Culture

Sights

Events and festivals

The city hosts three events of national and even international fame:

Transport

Deventer has 2 railway stations - for destinations see

Notable people associated with Deventer

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in The Netherlands

Twin towns — Sister cities

Deventer is twinned with:

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Twin Cities of Tartu". ©2007 City of Tartu. http://tartu.ee/?lang_id=2&menu_id=13&page_id=1096. Retrieved 2009-01-04. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Deventer
Members of the Hanseatic League by Quarter
Chief cities are highlighted; Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire are shown in italics.
Wendish Quarter
Principle trading routes of the Hanseatic League
Saxon Quarter
Baltic Quarter
Westphalian
Quarter
Deventer · Groningen · Kampen · Münster · Osnabrück · Soest
Principal Kontore
Bryggen (Bergen) · Hanzekantoor (Bruges, Antwerp†) · Steelyard (London) · Peterhof (Novgorod)
Subsidiary Kontore
Other cities
Bristol · Boston · Damme · Leith · Herford · Hull · Newcastle · Stargard · Yarmouth · York
* Cologne and Dortmund were both capital of the Westphalian Quarter at different times.
† Antwerp gained importance once Bruges became inaccessible due to the silting of the Zwin channel.
Flag of Overijssel.svg Municipalities of Overijssel
Overijssel position.svg

Coordinates: 52°15′N 6°12′E / 52.25°N 6.2°E / 52.25; 6.2