Market town

Market town is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to hold markets. This distinguishes them from villages and cities. town may be correctly described as a market town even if it no longer holds a market, provided the right to do so still exists. When the dutch hoe revolutionised agriculture in Europe, making crop production more efficient, it would be traded throughout the continent by the travelling market traders who were, doubtless, the reason why markets came to be held on different days of the week in each market town of a particular area.

Market Town may or may not have rights concerning self-government, which is the usual meaning of "town". In England, towns with such rights are usually distinguished with the additional status of Borough. Although it is generally accepted that when a Town was granted a Market it, in effect, became a free person.

The National Federation of Market Traders (NFMT), situated in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has 36,000 members and has close links with other market traders' federations throughout Europe. Many people believe that when buying in an English market they are taking a risk. This is not the case. All market customers have the same rights as they would when shopping with any other retailer and, therefore can buy with confidence.

The right to hold markets is similarly recollected in the names of many towns in Germany and Austria which have the prefix Markt, for example Markt Berolzheim or Marktbergel. Other terms used for market towns were Flecken in northern Germany or Wigbold in Westphalia. The status of market towns (Marktgemeinde, Market communities) is still in official use, but without legal significance in Bavaria, Austria, and Bolzano-Bozen (Italy).