An exchange, bourse (/bʊərs/), trading exchange or trading venue is an organized market where (especially) tradable securities, commodities, foreign exchange, futures, and options contracts are bought and sold. History[edit] The "Huis ter Beurze" (center) in Bruges, Belgium Coat of arms of the van der Beurze family, which depicts three purses (Flemish: buerzen, Greek: birsa, Latin: bursa) and ther