Poorter () is an historical term for a type of Dutch, or

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium ...

, burgher who had acquired the right to live within the walls of a city with city rights. In the Dutch Republic, this ''poorterrecht'' or ''poorterschap'' (citizenship) could be gained by paying a sum of money to, and registering, with the

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a ''magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

of the city. The payment of money was to prove that one was not poor, and that one could maintain a household. There were also religious restrictions, and numerous cities forbade

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

from attaining citizenship. An oath was also taken. Some cities also had ''grootburgers'' ( grand burghers), who received more rights than normal citizens, but had to pay a higher price to acquire it. The privileges were abolished after the French invasion of the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The pe ...

and the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

in 1794-1795. There was a distinction between the ordinary inhabitants of the city (residents) and the poorters, who enjoyed a higher status because of their origin, education, income, craftsmanship and so on. The city would be surrounded by a city wall, and a moat, which offered safety, and protection, of a certain level, to its citizens. At nightfall, the city gates would be closed by the gate watch. The

Keys to the city The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

were handed to the

Burgemeester Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the citizenship, town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages fo ...

, and returned again the next day. The entire citizenry of a city was sometimes called the ''Poorterij''.

References

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*{{Commonscatinline Social class in the Netherlands Citizenship Bourgeoisie