Market rights were designated as long ago as during the Carolingian Empire. Around 800, Charlemagne granted the title of a market town to "Esslingen am Neckar". Conrad created a number of market towns in Saxony throughout the 11th century and did much to develop peaceful markets by granting a special 'peace' to merchants and a special and permanent 'peace' to market-places. With the rise of the territories, the ability to designate market towns was passed to the princes and dukes, as the basis of German town law.