Some problems related to the history of towns, especially those dealing with old periods, can only be dealt with successfully in comparative discussions. This is true also if one raises a question concerning the original trends in the development of Slovene towns. So, for example, a comparison with the development of town in Poland shows that the original Slavic »markets« were somewhat more highly qualified settlements than an ordinary »sejem«, (market). On the other hand the differences between the origin of Polish and Slovene towns lie mainly in the fact that the former were created under the western influences outside the empire, and the latter within the empire.