8. Stock exchange or bourse
The stock exchange or bourse has originated in Bruges after the name of the brokers family from Bruges "Van der Burse". This family had as escutcheon three pouches (in Dutch: beurs). The phenomenon of merchants gathering to sell their wares is of course much older. In the time of the Romans the Collegia Mercatorum already existed. Though, in the 15th century, it was first in Bruges, being at that time the leading trade center in the world, where it was the custom to gather daily at specified hours in front of the house of the brokers family “Van der Burse” to trade.
Thus was born the term “go to the bourse”. From 1515, securities were traded In this place, so the first stock exchanges arose also in Bruges. Later, at the demise of Bruges, Antwerp took over the role of Bruges in a covered area. Amsterdam followed in 1561.

To be continued

I. Muylle, Gnostotheca