Burgher (social class)

Burgher was a rank or title of a privileged citizen of a medieval to early modern European town.

Burghers formed the pool from which city officials could be drawn,[citation needed] and their immediate families that formed the social class of the medieval bourgeoisie.

[1] In Hungary, proof of ownership of property in a town was a condition for acceptance as a burgher.

[3] In the Netherlands, burghers were often exempted from corvée or forced labour, a privilege that was later extended to the Dutch East Indies.

Membership in the guard was often a stepping stone to political positions.