German units of measurement

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Germany had an indigeous system of German units of measurement prior to its adoption of the international metric system. These units are now mainly of historical interest.

Contents 1 German system 2 Length 3 Volume 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] German system

It's interesting how many of the German Meile make a geocentric cluster around either 5 Greek Milos of 7.4 km. or a whole number subdivision or multiple of it. While up to the introduction of the metric system, almost every town in Germany had their own definitions and it is said that by 1810, in Baden alone, there were 112 different Ellen, most divide fairly well into a degree.

[edit] Length

• Meile (mile)

(1) A German geographic mile ("geographische Meile") is defined as 1/15 equatorial degree = 7420.54 m (or 7420.44m ?).

(2) A common German mile, land mile, or post mile ("Gemeine deutsche Meile" / "Landmeile" / "Postmeile") was defined in various ways at different places and different times. After the introduction of the metric system in the 19th century it was generally fixed at 7500m ("Reichsmeile"), but before there were a wealth of local and regional variants (which include all below):

5 Greek Milos = 7400 m

Bohemia (Böhmen) – 7498 m

Bavaria (Bayern) – 7415 m, connected to a 1/15 Equatorial degree as 25406 Bavarian feet.

Württemberg – 7449 m

Reichsmeile (= 'imperial mile') – New mile when the metric system was introduced, 7.5 km. Prohibited by law in 1908.

Anhalt – 7532 m

Denmark, Prussia : the Danish mile at 7532 m, or 24000 Prussian feet. Also known as "(Dänische/Preußische) Landmeile".

(In 1816, king Frederick William III of Prussia adopted the Danish mile at 7532 m, or 24000 Prussian feet. Also known as Landmeile.)

Saxony (Sachsen) – In the 17th/18th century or so 9062 m = 32000 (Saxon) feet; later 7500 m (as in Prussia and the rest of Germany).

Vienna (Wien) – 7586 m

Switzerland (Schweiz) - 4800m = 16000 (Swiss) feet = 1 Wegstunde

6 Greek Milos = 8880 m

Schleswig-Holstein – 8803 m

Baden – 8889 m before 1810, 8944 m before 1871, 8000 m

6.25 Roman milliare of 625 Roman feet = 9250 m

Hessen-Kassel – 9206 m

Lippe-Detmold – 9264 m

Saxony (Sachsen) – 9062 m = 32000 (Saxon) feet (in the 19th century 7500 m ; s.a.).

7.5 Roman milliare = 11100 m

Westfalia (Westfalen) – 11100 m, but also 9250 m

Oldenburg – 9894 m

3 Greek Milos = 4440 m

Rhineland (Rheinland) – 4119 m

Palatinate (Pfalz) – 4630 m

Brabant – about 5000 m

Osnabrück – 5160 m

Other variants

Wiesbaden – 1000 m

• Rute (rod): Carolingian origin, use as land measure.

e.g.

- Saxony (Sachsen) : 1 alte Rute = 1 Feldmesser-Rute = 7.5 Ellen = 4.295 m

- Saxony (Sachsen) : 1 neue Straßen-Rute = 16 Fuß (feet) = 4.531 m

- Rhineland (Rheinland) + Prussia (Preußen) : 1 Rheinische Rute = 12 Fuß (feet) = 3.766 m

- Bavaria (Bayern) : 1 Rute = 10 Fuß (feet) = 2.919 m

- Baden + Switzerland: 1 Rute = 10 Fuß (feet) = 3 m

- Sweden : 1 Rute = 16 Fot (feet) = 4.749 m

- Denmark : 1 Rute = 10 Fod (feet) = 3.766 m

Schainos – Uncertain use, between 10 and 12 km, (11.1 km = 1/10 degree =)

Wegstunde – One hours travel, used up to the 18th century.

In Germany 1/2 Meile or 3.71 km, in Switzerland 16000 feet or 4,8 km

Stadion – 1/8 Greek Milos

Often definitions appear to be different but are just unit fractions ie;

10, 12, 14, 15, 18 or 20 feet,

. The same is true of apparent variations between approx. 3 and 5 m.

Klafter (fathom)

- originally 6 feet, after introduction of the metric system 10 feet.

Regional changes from 1.75 m in Baden to 3 m in Switzerland.

• Elle (ell)

Distance between elbow and finger tip.

In the North, often 2 feet, In Prussia 17 / 8 feet,

in the South variable, often 2 1/2 feet.

The smallest known German elle is 402.8 mm, the longest 811 mm.

• Fuss (foot)

The foot varied between 23.51 cm in Wesel and 40.83 cm in Trier.

Rheinfuss – Rhine foot, used in the North, 31.387 cm

• Zoll (inch)

Usually 1 / 12 foot, but also 1/11 and 1 / 10.

• Linie

Usually 1 / 12 inch, but also 1 / 10.

[edit] Volume

• Klafter

For firewood, 2.905 m³

• Noesel

In general it was a liquid measure, what came from can. One can held two Noesel. In several German regional states the size of this measure was different even in Saxony Kingdom. The "Dresden Can" held approximately 0.94 liter the Noesel about 0.47 liter. If measured by the "Leipzig Can", the amount was 1.2 liter, the Noesel therefore 0.6 liter. The Noesel measure was used in small sale and the household to measure pulse, seed and other bulk material.

Also in Saxony the former mentioned measures are valid official till the year 1868. Then the Metric System (meter, gram, liter and so on) was introduced. But in the private area the old measures are used for decades.

In Thueringen there was a strange modification. The Noesel grain seed was a measure for the field area which can be cultivated with one Noesel seed. That was about 14.6 square meter.

[edit] See also

• Weights and measures
• Historical weights and measures
• SI

[edit] References

• François Cardarelli: Encyclopedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins. Springer, Berlin 2003. ISBN 1-85233-682-X
• Helmut Kahnt, Bernd Knorr: Alte Masse, Münzen und Gewichte. . Bibliographisches Institut Mannheim/Wien/Zuerich 1987. (Lizenzausgabe von VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig 1986) (German)
• Wolfgang Trapp: Kleines Handbuch der Maße, Zahlen Gewichte und der Zeitrechnung. Von . Reclam Stuttgart, 2. Auflage 1996. ISBN 3-15-008737-6 (German)
• Günther Scholz, Klaus Vogelsang: Kleines Lexikon: Einheiten, Formelzeichen. Fachbuchverlag, Leipzig 1991 ISBN 3-343-00500-2 (German)

Historical work:

• Johann Christian Nelkenbrechers Taschenbuch eines Banquiers und Kaufmanns: enthaltend eine Erklärung aller ein- und ausländischen Münzen, des Wechsel-Courses, Usos, Respect-Tage und anderer zur Handlung gehörigen Dinge; mit einer genauen Vergleichung des Ellen-Maaßes, Handels-, Gold- und Silber-Gewichts, auch Maaße von Getreide und flüssigen Sachen derer fürnehmsten europäischen Handels-Plätze. Nachdruck der Ausgabe 1769: VDM-Verlag Müller, Düsseldorf 2004. ISBN 3936755582 (German)

[edit] External links

• Old measures and weights at German Wikipedia
• Projekt zur Erschliessung historisch wertvoller Altkartenbestände
• Amtliche Maßeinheiten in Europa 1842