One has to envision late fourteenth century Deventer as a busy industrious city. The river IJssel and the close access to the sea made sure that the Welle, the cities docks, were always full of trading ships. On these docks there were amongst others a fishmarket and a timbermarket. The timber was being imported from the south of the Empire by means of the river Rhine. But not only over the water did trade goods reach Deventer. The city was interconnected with a lot of hansa and low countries cities by means of land routes. Deventer merchants took to the road themselves but a lot of foreign merchants also found their way to the city, where four times a year a fair was held. With Deventer being such a city of trade it is no wonder that its merchants had already organised themselves in a merchants guild by 1249.
The city did not only have a guild for merchants. There were for example a smiths guild and a meatcutters guild as well. The cities government had ordered all the smithies to move into one street; the Smedestrate. Of course many other crafts were executed in Deventer. And in contrast to popular belief women could also run an independant business in some of the crafts. Next to that they probably also helped their husbands a lot with their work.
Self evident is that a late medieval city did not only have merchants and craftsmen live inside its walls but also people with professions like carrier in the harbor, milkmaiden or serving girl.
Deventer Burgerscap strives to portray some of all these professions (in Dutch) as well as we possibly can. Some of us are working on the portrayal of a merchant(s family). And next to rich merchants we also have members who portray craftspeople like a doubletmaker, beltmaker, cookiesbaker and painter.