The “key to the city” comes from serfdom, where it was originally called the “freedom of the city,” meaning that the honored person was to be treated as a free person, not a serf, while they were in the city. The “key to the city” derives from the custom of walled cities closing and locking their gates up at night; if you wanted to enter, you’d either have to wait until morning or convince a guard that you had an important enough reason to open the gates. However, if you have a “key” to the gates, that meant that you could open them whenever you wished; you had the freedom to enter/exit the city as you desired. Hence, the “key to the city” phrase replaced “freedom of the city”.
It is entirely symbolic/honorific. Since serfdom is long gone, there are no privileges or protections to be gained by not being a serf, so getting a “key to the city” is just an indicator that the city government appreciates something you’ve done.
Latest Answers