German obsolete units of measurement

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      The obsolete units of measurement of German-speaking countries consist mostly of a variety of units that are similar to those that were traditionally used in other countries and are still used in the United Kingdom (imperial units) and the United States (United States customary units).

      Some of these units are still used in everyday speech and even in stores and on street markets as shorthand for similar amounts in the metric system. For example, some customers ask for one pound (ein Pfund) of something when they want (exactly) 500 grams.

      The metric system became compulsory on January 1, 1872, in Germany and on January 1, 1876, in Austria.[1]

      German system

      Before the introduction of the metric system in German, almost every town had its own definitions of the units shown below, and supposedly by 1810, in Baden alone, there were 112 different standards for the Elle around Germany.[citation needed]

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      Length

      Meile (mile)

      A German geographic mile (geographische Meile) is defined as 1/15 equatorial degrees, equal to 7420.54 m. 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, the Landmeile was generally fixed at 7500 m (the Reichsmeile), but before then there were many local and regional variants (of which some are shown below):

      Bavaria (Bayern) 7415 m Connected to a 1/15 equatorial degree as 25,406 Bavarian feet.
      Württemberg 7449 m
      Reichsmeile 7.5 km 'imperial mile' – New mile when the metric system was introduced. Prohibited by law in 1908.
      Anhalt 7532 m
      Denmark, Prussia 7532 m 24,000 Prussian feet. Also known as "(Dänische/Preußische) Landmeile". In 1816, king Frederick William III of Prussia adopted the Danish mile at 7532 m, or 24,000 Prussian feet.
      Saxony (Sachsen) 7500 m In the 17th–18th century or so, 9062 m = 32000 (Saxon) feet; later 7500 m (as in Prussia and the rest of Germany).
      Schleswig-Holstein 8803 m
      Baden 8000 m 8889 m before 1810, 8944 m before 1871
      Hessen-Kassel 9206 m
      Lippe-Detmold 9264 m
      Saxony (Sachsen) 9062 m 32,000 (Saxon) feet (in the 19th century 7500 m; s.a.).
      Westfalia (Westfalen) 11,100 m but also 9250 m
      Oldenburg 9894 m
      Rhineland (Rheinland) 4119 m
      Palatinate (Pfalz) 4630 m
      Osnabrück/Frankreich 5160 m
      Wiesbaden 1000 m

      Rute (rod)

      A standard at the City Hall in Münster, Germany from 1816; the bar shown is one "Prussian half rod" long.

      The Rute or Ruthe is of Carolingian origin,[citation needed] and was used as a land measure. Many different kinds of Ruthe were used at various times in various parts of the German-speaking world. They were subdivided into differing numbers of local Fuß, and were of many different lengths. One source from 1830[2] lists the following:

      Some kinds of Ruthe
      Place Name Local equivalent Metric equivalent
      Aachen (Aix-la-Capelle) Feldmeßruthe 16 Fuß        4.512 m
      Baden (Großherzogtum) Ruthe 10 Fuß        3 m
      Basel, Canton of Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.864 m
      Bern, Canton of Ruthe 10 Fuß        2.932 m
      Braunschweig (Brunswick) Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.565 m
      Bremen Ruthe 8 Ellen or 16 Fuß        4.626 m
      Calenberg Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.677 m
      Cassel, Hessen Ruthe 14 Fuß        4.026 m
      Hamburg Geestruthe 16 Fuß        4.583 m
      Hamburg Marschruthe 14 Fuß        4.010 m
      Hannover Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.671 m
      Lever, Oldenburg Ruthe 20 Fuß        4.377 m
      Mecklenburg Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.655 m
      Nürnberg, Bavaria Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.861 m
      Oldenburg Ruthe 20 Fuß        5.927 m
      Prussia, Rheinland Ruthe 12 Fuß        3.766 m
      Saxony Ruthe 16 Leipziger Fuß        4.512 m
      Waadt, Canton of Ruthe or toise courante 10 Fuß        3 m
      Würtemberg Reichsruthe 10 Fuß        2.865 m
      Würtemberg old Ruthe 16 Fuß        4.583 m
      Zürich, Canton of Ruthe 10 Fuß        3.009 m
      Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830).[2] The value of the local Fuß also varied widely.

      Wegstunde

      One hour's travel, used up to the 18th century. In Germany ½ Meile or 3.71 km, in Switzerland 16,000 feet or 4.8 km.

      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.

      Lachter

      Main article: Lachter

      The Lachter was the most common unit of length used in mining in German-speaking areas. Its exact length varied from place to place but was roughly between 1.9 and 2.1 metres.

      Elle (ell)

      Distance between elbow and fingertip. In the North, often 2 feet, In Prussia 17 / 8 feet, in the South variable, often 2½ feet. The smallest known German Elle is 402.8 mm, the longest 811 mm.

      Fuß (foot)

      The Fuß or German foot varied widely from place to place in the German-speaking world, and also with time. In some places, more than one type of Fuß was in use. One source from 1830[2] gives the following values:

      Some kinds of Fuß
      Place Name Local equivalent Metric equivalent
      Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) Feldmaßfuß 1⁄6 Klafter        282 mm
      Aachen Baufuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        288 mm
      Aargau, Canton of [Fuß]        300 mm
      Aichstadt, Bavaria old Fuß        307 mm
      Altona, Holstein [Fuß]        286 mm
      Anspach, Bavaria Werkfuß        299 mm
      Appenzell, Canton of [Fuß]        313 mm
      Aschaffenberg, Bavaria [Fuß]        288 mm
      Augsburg, Bavaria Werkschuh        296 mm
      Baden Reichsfuß 10 Zoll, 1⁄10 Ruthe        300 mm
      Baireuth, Bavaria [Fuß]        298 mm
      Bamberg, Bavaria [Fuß]        303 mm
      Basel, Canton of Stadtschuh        304 mm
      Bavaria [Fuß]        292 mm
      Bergamo, Austria Fuß 1⁄6 Cavezzo        435 mm
      Berlin Prussian Reichsfuß        313 mm
      Bern, Canton of gewöhnlicher Fuß 12 Zoll        298 mm
      Bern, Canton of Steinbrecherfuß 13 Zoll        317 mm
      Bohemia [Fuß]        296 mm
      Bozen, Austria Tyroler-Fuß        334 mm
      Braunschweig (Brunswick) Fuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        285 mm
      Bremen Fuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        289 mm
      Breslau old Silesian Fuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        283 mm
      Bünden, Canton of churischer Fuß        322 mm
      Calenberg Land Fuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        292 mm
      Carlsruhe (as Baden) [Fuß]        300 mm
      Cassel, Hessen [Fuß] 1⁄14 Ruthe        287 mm
      Cleve, Prussia [Fuß]        295 mm
      Cöln am Rhein (Cologne), Prussia [Fuß]        287 mm
      Cracau Fuß or Stopa        356 mm
      Cremona, Austria old Fuß        480 mm
      Danzig, Prussia old Fuß 1⁄2 Elle        287 mm
      Darmstadt Hessian Reichsfuß 10 Zoll        250 mm
      Darmstadt old Darmstadt Fuß 12 Zoll        288 mm
      Dordrecht, Netherlands [Fuß]        361 mm
      Dresden, Saxony [Fuß]        260 mm
      Duderstadt, Hanover [Fuß]        290 mm
      Durlach (as Baden) [Fuß]        300 mm
      Durlach old Fuß        291 mm
      Emden, Hanover [Fuß]        296 mm
      Erfurt, Prussia old Fuß 1⁄14 Feldruthe, 1⁄16 Bauruthe        283 mm
      Frankfurt am Main [Fuß]        285 mm
      Freiburg, Canton of Werkfuß 12 Zoll, 1⁄10 Werkklafter        293 mm
      Friedberg in der Wetterau, Oberhessen [Fuß]        291 mm
      Friedrichsstadt, Denmark [Fuß]        296 mm
      Fulda, Kurhessen Werkfuß 1⁄2 Elle        250 mm
      Genf (Geneva), Canton of Fuß 1⁄8 Ruthe        325 mm
      Gießen, Oberhessen [Fuß]        298 mm
      Glarus, Canton of [Fuß]        300 mm
      Glatz, Prussia Werkfuß        287 mm
      Göttingen, Hanover [Fuß]        291 mm
      Gotha, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha [Fuß]        287 mm
      Halle an der Saale, Prussia Werkfuß        288 mm
      Halle an der Saale, Prussia Feldfuß        433 mm
      Hamburg Fuß 1⁄6 Klafter, 1⁄16 Geestruthe        286 mm
      Hanau, Hessen Fuß 2⁄25 Ruthe        285 mm
      Hanover, capital of the Kingdom Fuß 1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄16 Ruthe        292 mm
      Heidelberg, Baden [Fuß]        278 mm
      Heilbronn, Würtemberg [Fuß]        278 mm
      Heiligenstadt, Prussia old Fuß        283 mm
      Herford, Prussia old Fuß        295 mm
      Hildesheim, Hanover Fuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        280 mm
      Holstein [Fuß]        296 mm
      Innsbruck, Austria Tyroler-Fuß        317 mm
      Königsberg, Prussia old Fuß 1⁄15 Ruthe        307 mm
      Lausanne, Canton of Waadt [Fuß]        293 mm
      Leipzig, Saxony gewöhnlicher Fuß 1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄6 Klafter 1⁄16 Ruthe        282 mm
      Lemberg, Austria Galizian Fuß        297 mm
      Lemgo, Lippe [Fuß]        287 mm
      Lindau, Bavaria Fuß        307 mm
      Lindau, Bavaria Feldmeßschuh, Bauschuh        289 mm
      Linz, Austria Fuß Klafter        [3]03 mm
      Lübeck [Fuß]        291 mm
      Lucern, Canton of Fuß (for wood measure)        314 mm
      Lucern, Canton of Zimmerwerkschuh        304 mm
      Lucern, Canton of Bau- and Feldmeßschuh        284 mm
      Milan, Austria old Fuß        398 mm
      Mainz, Hessen Werkfuß        314 mm
      Mainz, Hessen Kameralfuß, for firewood        287 mm
      Mannheim, Baden [Fuß]        290 mm
      Mecklenburg Fuß 1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄16 Ruthe        291 mm
      Metz, France old Fuß        406 mm
      Mühlhausen, Prussia Fuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        281 mm
      Neufchatel, Principality of Werkfuß        293 mm
      Neufchatel, Principality of Feldmeßfuß        318 mm
      Nordhausen, Prussia old Fuß        292 mm
      Nürnberg, Bavaria Stadtfuß 1⁄16 Ruthe        304 mm
      Nürnberg, Bavaria Artillery Fuß        292 mm
      Oldenburg Fuß 1⁄20 Ruthe        296 mm
      Osnabruck, Hanover [Fuß]        279 mm
      Padua, Austria Fuß 1⁄6 Cavezzo        428 mm
      Prague, Austria Bohemian Fuß        296 mm
      Prussia, Rheinland Reichsfuß        313 mm
      Ratzeburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin [Fuß]        291 mm
      Regensburg, Bavaria [Fuß]        313 mm
      Rheinbaiern Fuß 12 Zoll, 1⁄3 metre        333 mm
      Rheinland Rheinländischer Fuß        313 mm
      Rostock, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Fuß 1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄16 Ruthe        286 mm
      Sanct Gallen, Canton of [Fuß]        313 mm
      Schaffhausen, Canton of [Fuß]        298 mm
      Silesia (Austrian part) [Fuß]        289 mm
      Solothurn, Canton of [Fuß]        293 mm
      Stade, Hanover [Fuß]        291 mm
      Stettin, Prussia old Pomeranian Fuß        285 mm
      Stralsund, Prussia old Fuß        291 mm
      Strassburg, France [Fuß]        289 mm
      Stuttgart Reichsfuß 1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄10 Ruthe        286 mm
      Tessin, Canton of [Fuß]        397 mm
      Thorn, Prussia old Fuß        297 mm
      Trento, Austria [Fuß]        366 mm
      Trier, Prussia Land- and Werkfuß        294 mm
      Trier, Prussia Waldfuß        310 mm
      Trier, Prussia Zimmermannsfuß        305 mm
      Tyrol, Austria [Fuß]        334 mm
      Udine, Austria [Fuß]        329 mm
      Ulm, Würtemberg [Fuß]        289 mm
      Venice, Austria Fuß 1⁄5 Passo        348 mm
      Verden, Hanover [Fuß]        291 mm
      Verona, Austria Fuß 1⁄6 Cavezzo        347 mm
      Vienna, Austria Fuß 1⁄6 Klafter        316 mm
      Waadt, Canton of Fuß 10 Zoll, 1⁄10 Ruthe        300 mm
      Wallis, Canton of [Fuß]        325 mm
      Weimar [Fuß]        282 mm
      Wesel, Prussia old Fuß        236 mm
      Wetzlar, Prussia old Fuß        274 mm
      Wiesbaden, Nassau [Fuß]        288 mm
      Wismar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin [Fuß]        292 mm
      Wittenberg, Prussia old Fuß        283 mm
      Worbis, Prussia old Fuß        286 mm
      Würtemberg Reichsfuß 1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄10 Ruthe        286 mm
      Würzburg, Bavaria [Fuß] 1⁄2 Elle        294 mm
      Zug, Canton of Fuß        301 mm
      Zug, Canton of Steinfuß        268 mm
      Zürich, Canton of Fuß 1⁄6 Klafter, 1⁄10 Ruthe        301 mm
      Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830).[2] The values of the other local units mentioned also varied widely.

      Zoll (inch)

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

      Linie

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

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      Volume

      Klafter

      For firewood, 2.905 m³

      Nösel

      In general, the Nösel was a measure of liquid volume equal to half a Kanne ("jar," "jug," "bottle," "can"). Actual volumes so measured, however, varied from one state or even one city to another. Within Saxony, for example, the "Dresden jar" held approximately one US-quart (qt) or 0.94 liters, so a nösel in Dresden was about a US-pint. The full volume of a "Leipzig jar" measured 1.2 L or 1.3 US qt; the Leipzig nösel was therefore 0.6 L.

      The nösel was used in minor commerce, as well as in the household to measure meal, grain, and such. These units of measure were officially valid in Saxony until 1868, when the metric system was introduced. Nevertheless, the old measures have continued in private use for decades.

      One interesting modification was introduced in Thuringia. There, the nösel was, by extension, also a measure of area; namely, the area of land which could be sown with one nösel of seed — or about 16.19 m2 (19.36 square yards or 0.00400 acres).

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      See also

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      References

      1. ^ Barnard, Frederick Augustus Porter (1879). The Metric system of weights and measures. American Metric Bureau. pp. 220–2. Retrieved 27 February 2012. 
      2. ^ a b c d Niemann, Friedrich (1830) Vollständiges Handbuch der Münzen, Masse, und Gewichte aller Länder der Erde fur Kaufleute, Banquiers ... : in alphabetischer Ordnung. Quedlinburg und Leipzig, G. Basse. p. 286
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      Bibliography

      • 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/Zürich 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)
      • 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 Dr. Müller, Düsseldorf 2004. ISBN 3-936755-58-2 (German)
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      External links
      Metric system
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      Natural units
      Conventional systems
      Customary systems
      Ancient systems
      Other systems and unit types
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      Last modified on 19 December 2012, at 08:30