 Bourgeois of Brussels

In Brussels, like in most European cities, one needed the capacity of bourgeois (equivalent to German burgher or English burgess; in French "bourgeois" or "citoyen" "de Bruxelles"; in Dutch "poorter" or "borger" "van Brussel"; in Latin "civis or "oppidanus "Bruxellensis") in order to not only exercise political rights, but also to practice a trade, which, in Brussels, meant to be a member of the Guilds and/or of the Seven Noble Houses.The charter of Brussels, as codified in 1570 in articles 206 and following, provided the conditions of admission to the bourgeoisie of the city.