Town privileges orborough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.^[1][2] The city law customary inCentral Europe probably dates back toItalian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditions of theself-administration ofRoman cities.

Judicially, aborough (orburgh) was distinguished from the countryside by means of acharter from the rulingmonarch that defined itsprivileges andlaws.^[2][3][4] Common privileges involvedtrade (marketplace, the storing of goods, etc.) and the establishment ofguilds. Some of these privileges were permanent and could imply that the town obtained the right to be called aborough, hence the term "borough rights" (German:Stadtrecht;Dutch:stadsrechten). Some degree ofself-government, representation bydiet, andtax-relief could also be granted.^[1][2] Multiple tiers existed; for example, inSweden, the basic royal charter establishing a borough enabled trade, but not foreign trade, which required a higher-tier charter grantingstaple right.