Huis Ter Beurze

Huis Ter Beurze features a tall, stepped gable that rises above the Vlamingstraat. In the late thirteenth century, the van der Beurze family hosted visiting merchants from across Europe in this home. They acted as unofficial brokers, connecting traders with local financiers. This exchange grew so efficient that merchants began referring to all similar meeting places as a beurze. When the family crest featuring three purses appeared on the facade, they unwittingly gave the world the name for the modern stock exchange.