DEVENTER

Deventer: translation

City on the River IJssel in the province of Overijssel with about 90,000 inhabitants. It was first documented in 965 and later became a member of the Hansa League together with its com mercial neighboring cities Zwolle and Kampen. Geert Groote’s movement of the devotio moderna was influential in Deventer. Richard Paffraet’s and Jacob van Breda’s printing houses were founded in the city in 1477 and 1485, respectively. After the Dutch Revolt, the town declined. The old library of the Atheneum Illustre is now in the Deventer Public Library.