Photo of Deventer Overijssel taken with a low vantage point during sunset by Bart Ros

Deventer (Sound clip pronunciation (info / explanation); Lower Saxon: Dèv'nter or Daeventer, in local dialect: Dèmpter) is a Dutch city in the province of Overijssel. The city is the capital of the municipality of the same name and is located on the river IJssel. In the Middle Ages, Deventer was part of the Hanseatic League, an important North German trade network.

Deventer is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands,[2] the place is already mentioned in 9th-century sources from the diocese of Utrecht. A charter from 877 mentions seven hoofs in Daventre portu[3] (the port of Deventer). In 952, Deventer is mentioned as a city in a gift charter from King Otto I.[4] After acquiring more and more rights and privileges over time, the town received the disposal of municipal lands from Emperor Henry V in 1123. This is considered by historians to be the moment when the inhabitants obtained city rights.[5] The city has the oldest stone house, the oldest walking park and, with the Athenaeum Library, also the oldest scientific library in the Netherlands.

The city of Deventer had a population of 81,545[1] on January 1, 2021, making it by far the largest core of the municipality, which has a population of over 100,000.