Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Deventer

DEVENTER, or, by corruption, DEMTER, a town of Holland, in the province of Overyssel, about 25 miles north of Arnheim, on the right bank of the Yssel, which there receives the waters of the Schipbeek, and is crossed by a bridge of boats. It is a clean, prosperous place, and at the same time preserves a large number of ancient buildings as well as its fortifications. Of special interest are the Protestant church of St Leivin, which dates from 1334, occupies the site of an older structure of the llth century, and possesses some fine stained glass ; the Roman Catholic Broerekerk, with three ancient gospels ; the Bergkerk, which belonged to the Premonstratensians ; the town-hall, built in 1693, containing a remarkable painting by Terburg, who was for some time burgomaster of the town ; and the weigh-house, which dates from 1528. There are also cavalry-barracks, an arsenal, a court-house, a hospital, and a lunatic asylum ; while among the scientific and educational institutions, an observatory, a gymnasium, and a high school may be mentioned. The last, known as the " Athenaeum" down to 1864, dates from 1830, and has a library of 6000 volumes, inclusive of a number of Oriental MSS., several incunabula, and a 13th century copy of Reynard the Fox. The archives of the town are of considerable value from the fact that it was the chief town of a province. Besides a good agricultural trade, the inhabitants carry on the weaving of carpets, woollens, and silks, cotton-printing, and iron-founding ; and their honey-cakes are exported in large quantities to all parts of the Netherlands. Population in 1869, 17,983. Deventer is mentioned in 778 in connection with a Saxon inroad, but its importance only dates from the llth century. In 1123 it was relieved by the emperor Henry V. from an investment by the duke of Saxony and the bishop of Munster. To Queen Eleanor of England it was indebted for the monastery of the Recollets, and in 1356 she breathed her last within its walls. During the War of Independence it was treacherously sur rendered to the Spaniards by Edward Stanley, an Englishman, but was recaptured in 1591 by Prince Maurice of Orange. Its bishopric, which had been established only in 1559, was then abolished ; and in the following year it was found necessary to destroy its wooden bridge over the Yssel. In 1813 it was in vested by the Allies ; and iu 1814 the French withdrew in terms of the peace.