German units of measurement

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The units of measurement of German-speaking countries consist of a variety of units, with varying local standard definitions. While many were made redundant with the introduction of the metric system, 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 500  grams.

Contents

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

Some obsolete German units have names similar to units that were traditionally used in other countries, and that are still used in a limited number of cases in the United Kingdom (imperial units) and in the United States (United States customary units).

German system

Before the introduction of the metric system in Germany, almost every town had its own definitions of the units shown below. Often towns posted local definitions on a wall of the city hall. For example, the front wall of the old city hall of Rudolstadt (still standing) has two marks which show the "Rudolstädter Elle", the proper length of the Elle in that city. Supposedly by 1810 there were 112 different standards for the Elle around Germany.[ citation needed ]

"... the measure of cloth, for example, was elle which in each region stood for a different length. An elle of textile material brought in Frankfurt would get you 54.7 cm of cloth, in Mainz 55.1 cm, in Nuremberg 65.6 cm, in Freiburg 53.5 cm ..."

Length

Meile (mile)

A German geographic mile (geographische Meile) is defined as 1⁄15 equatorial degrees, equal to 7,420.54  m (24,345.6  ft ). 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):

Some kinds of Meile
PlaceMetric
equivalent		Notes
Breslau (Wrocław)6700 mUsed in all Silesia [2] [3]
Bavaria (Bayern)7415 mConnected to a 1⁄15 equatorial degree as 25,406 Bavarian feet.
Württemberg7449 m
Reichsmeile7500 m'imperial mile' – New mile when the metric system was introduced. Prohibited by law in 1908.
Anhalt7532 m
Denmark, Prussia7532 m24,000 Prussian feet. Also known as "(Dänische/Preußische) Landmeile". In 1816, king Frederick William III of Prussia adopted the Danish mile at 7532 m, or 24000 Prussian feet.
Saxony (Sachsen)7500 mIn the 17th–18th century or so, 9062 m = 32000 (Saxon) feet; later 7500 m (as in Prussia and the rest of Germany).
Schleswig-Holstein8803 m
Baden8000 m8889 m before 1810, 8944 m before 1871
Hesse-Kassel9206 m
Lippe-Detmold9264 m
Saxony (Sachsen)9062 m32000 (Saxon) feet (in the 19th century 7500 m, see above).
Westfalia (Westfalen)11100 mbut also 9250 m
Oldenburg9894 m
Rhineland (Rheinland)4119 m
Palatinate (Pfalz)4630 m
Osnabrück/France5160 m
Wiesbaden1000 m

Wegstunde

One hour's travel, used up to the 19th century. In Germany 1⁄2 Meile or 3.71  km (2.31  mi ). After 1722 in Saxony 1⁄2 post mile = 1000 Dresden rods = 4531 m. [4] In Switzerland 16,000 ft or 4.88 km.

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 [5] gives the following values:

Some kinds of Fuß
PlaceNameLocal equivalentMetric equivalent
 
Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle)Feldmaßfuß1⁄6 Klafter282 mm
AachenBaufuß1⁄16 Ruthe288 mm
Aargau, Canton of Fuß300 mm
Aichstadt, Bavaria old Fuß307 mm
Altona, Holstein Fuß286 mm
Anspach, BavariaWerkfuß299 mm
Appenzell, Canton of Fuß313 mm
Aschaffenburg, BavariaFuß288 mm
Augsburg, BavariaWerkschuh296 mm
Baden Reichsfuß10 Zoll, 1⁄10 Ruthe300 mm
Baireuth, BavariaFuß298 mm
Bamberg, BavariaFuß303 mm
Basel, Canton of Stadtschuh304 mm
BavariaFuß292 mm
Bergamo, Austria Fuß1⁄6 Cavezzo435 mm
Berlin Prussian Reichsfuß313.8536 mm [6]
Bern, Canton of gewöhnlicher Fuß12 Zoll298 mm
Bern, Canton ofSteinbrecherfuß13 Zoll317 mm
Bohemia Fuß or Stopa296 mm
Bozen, AustriaTyroler-Fuß334 mm
Braunschweig (Brunswick)Fuß1⁄16 Ruthe285 mm
Bremen Fuß1⁄16 Ruthe289 mm
Breslau old Silesian Fuß1⁄16 Ruthe283 mm
Bünden, Canton of churischer Fuß322 mm
Calenberg Land Fuß1⁄16 Ruthe292 mm
Carlsruhe (as Baden)Fuß300 mm
Cassel, Hessen Fuß1⁄14 Ruthe287 mm
Cleve, PrussiaFuß295 mm
Cöln am Rhein (Cologne), PrussiaFuß287 mm
Cremona, Austriaold Fuß480 mm
Danzig, Prussiaold Fuß1⁄2 Elle287 mm
Darmstadt Hessian Reichsfuß10 Zoll250 mm
Darmstadtold Darmstadt Fuß12 Zoll288 mm
Dordrecht, NetherlandsFuß361 mm
Dresden, Saxony Fuß260 mm
Duderstadt, Hanover Fuß290 mm
Durlach (as Baden)Fuß300 mm
Durlachold Fuß291 mm
Emden, HanoverFuß296 mm
Erfurt, Prussiaold Fuß1⁄14 Feldruthe, 1⁄16 Bauruthe283 mm
Frankfurt am Main Fuß285 mm
Freiburg, Canton of Werkfuß12 Zoll, 1⁄10 Werkklafter293 mm
Friedberg in der Wetterau, Oberhessen Fuß291 mm
Friedrichsstadt, DenmarkFuß296 mm
Fulda, Kurhessen Werkfuß1⁄2 Elle250 mm
Genf (Geneva), Canton ofFuß1⁄8 Ruthe325 mm
Gießen, OberhessenFuß298 mm
Glarus, Canton of Fuß300 mm
Glatz, PrussiaWerkfuß287 mm
Göttingen, HanoverFuß291 mm
Gotha, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Fuß287 mm
Halle an der Saale, PrussiaWerkfuß288 mm
Halle an der Saale, PrussiaFeldfuß433 mm
Hamburg Fuß1⁄6 Klafter, 1⁄16 Geestruthe286 mm
Hanau, HessenFuß2⁄25 Ruthe285 mm
Hanover, capital of the KingdomFuß1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄16 Ruthe292 mm
Heidelberg, BadenFuß278 mm
Heilbronn, Württemberg Fuß278 mm
Heiligenstadt, Prussiaold Fuß283 mm
Herford, Prussiaold Fuß295 mm
Hildesheim, HanoverFuß1⁄16 Ruthe280 mm
HolsteinFuß296 mm
Innsbruck, AustriaTyroler-Fuß317 mm
Königsberg, Prussiaold Fuß1⁄15 Ruthe307 mm
Krakau Fuß or Stopa356 mm
Lausanne, Canton of Waadt Fuß293 mm
Leipzig, Saxonygewöhnlicher Fuß1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄6 Klafter 1⁄16 Ruthe282 mm
Lemberg, Austria Galizian Fuß297 mm
Lemgo, Lippe Fuß287 mm
Lindau, BavariaFuß307 mm
Lindau, BavariaFeldmeßschuh, Bauschuh289 mm
Linz, AustriaFußKlafter303 mm
Lübeck Fuß291 mm
Lucern, Canton of Fuß (for wood measure)314 mm
Lucern, Canton ofZimmerwerkschuh304 mm
Lucern, Canton ofBau- and Feldmeßschuh284 mm
Milan, Austriaold Fuß398 mm
Mainz, HessenWerkfuß314 mm
Mainz, HessenKameralfuß (for firewood)287 mm
Mannheim, BadenFuß290 mm
Mecklenburg Fuß1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄16 Ruthe291 mm
Metz, Franceold Fuß406 mm
Mühlhausen, PrussiaFuß1⁄16 Ruthe281 mm
Neufchatel, Principality of Werkfuß293 mm
Neufchatel, Principality ofFeldmeßfuß318 mm
Nordhausen, Prussiaold Fuß292 mm
Nuremberg, BavariaStadtfuß1⁄16 Ruthe304 mm
Nuremberg, BavariaArtillery Fuß292 mm
Oldenburg Fuß1⁄20 Ruthe296 mm
Osnabrück, HanoverFuß279 mm
Padua, Austria Fuß1⁄6 Cavezzo428 mm
Prague, Austria Bohemian Fuß or Česká stopa296 mm
Prussia, Rheinland Reichsfuß313.8536 mm [6]
Ratzeburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Fuß291 mm
Regensburg, BavariaFuß313 mm
Rheinbaiern Fuß12 Zoll, 1⁄3 metre333 mm
Rheinland Rheinländischer Fuß313.8536 mm [6]
Rostock, Mecklenburg-SchwerinFuß1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄16 Ruthe286 mm
Sanct Gallen, Canton of Fuß313 mm
Schaffhausen, Canton of Fuß298 mm
Silesia (Austrian part)Fuß289 mm
Solothurn, Canton of Fuß293 mm
Stade, HanoverFuß291 mm
Stettin, Prussiaold Pomeranian Fuß285 mm
Stralsund, Prussiaold Fuß291 mm
Strassburg, FranceFuß289 mm
Stuttgart Reichsfuß1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄10 Ruthe286 mm
Tessin, Canton of Fuß397 mm
Thorn, Prussiaold Fuß297 mm
Trento, AustriaFuß366 mm
Trier, PrussiaLand- and Werkfuß294 mm
Trier, PrussiaWaldfuß310 mm
Trier, PrussiaZimmermannsfuß305 mm
Tyrol, AustriaFuß334 mm
Udine, AustriaFuß329 mm
Ulm, WürttembergFuß289 mm
Venice, AustriaFuß1⁄5 Passo348 mm
Verden, HanoverFuß291 mm
Verona, Austria Fuß1⁄6 Cavezzo347 mm
Vienna, AustriaFuß1⁄6 Klafter316 mm
Waadt, Canton of Fuß10 Zoll, 1⁄10 Ruthe300 mm
Wallis, Canton of Fuß325 mm
Weimar Fuß282 mm
Wesel, Prussiaold Fuß236 mm
Wetzlar, Prussiaold Fuß274 mm
Wiesbaden, Nassau Fuß288 mm
Wismar, Mecklenburg-SchwerinFuß292 mm
Wittenberg, Prussiaold Fuß283 mm
Worbis, Prussiaold Fuß286 mm
WürttembergReichsfuß1⁄2 Elle, 1⁄10 Ruthe286 mm
Würzburg, BavariaFuß1⁄2 Elle294 mm
Zug, Canton of Fuß301 mm
Zug, Canton ofSteinfuß268 mm
Zürich, Canton of Fuß1⁄6 Klafter, 1⁄10 Ruthe301 mm
Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830). [5] The values of the other local units mentioned also varied widely.

Rute (rod)

A standard at the City Hall in Munster, Germany from 1816; the bar shown is one "Prussian half rod" long. MuensterRathausPreussischeHalbeRute2805.jpg
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 [5] lists the following:

Some kinds of Ruthe
PlaceNameLocal equivalentMetric equivalent
Aachen (Aix-la-Capelle)Feldmeßruthe16 Fuß4.512 m
BadenRuthe10 Fuß3 m
Basel, Canton ofRuthe16 Fuss4.864 m
Bern, Canton ofRuthe10 Fuss2.932 m
Braunschweig (Brunswick)Ruthe16 Fuß4.565 m
BremenRuthe8 Ellen or 16 Fuß4.626 m
CalenbergRuthe16 Fuß4.677 m
Cassel, HessenRuthe14 Fuß4.026 m
HamburgGeestruthe16 Fuß4.583 m
HamburgMarschruthe14 Fuß4.010 m
HannoverRuthe16 Fuß4.671 m
Lever, OldenburgRuthe20 Fuß4.377
MecklenburgRuthe16 Fuß4.655 m
Nuremberg, BavariaRuthe16 Fuß4.861 m
OldenburgRuthe20 Fuß5.927 m
Prussia, RheinlandRuthe12 Fuß3.766 m
SaxonyRuthe16 Leipziger Fuß4.512 m
WürttembergReichsruthe10 Fuß2.865 m
Württembergold Ruthe16 Fuß4.583 m
Zürich, Canton ofRuthe10 Fuss3.009 m
Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830). [5] The value of the local Fuß also varied widely.

Klafter

Typically 6 feet. Regional variants from 1.75 m in Baden to 3 m in Switzerland.

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 m.

Elle (ell)

Distance between elbow and fingertip. 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 (15.86  in ), the longest 811 mm (31.9 in).

Zoll (inch)

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

Linie

Usually 1⁄12 inch, but also 1⁄10.

Volume

Quent

Being 1/5 of any measure

Malter

Is a larger volume unit of around one large sack of wheat a person could carry. However, the exact volumetric size and weight was locally very different in each feudal state. For more details, see .

Klafter

For firewood, 2.905 m3 (102.6 cu ft)

Nösel

In general, the Nösel (also spelled Össel) was a measure of liquid volume equal to half a Kanne ("jar," "jug," "bottle," "can"). Volume often varied depending on whether it was beer or wine. Its subdivisions were the Halbnösel ("Half-Nösel") and the Viertelnösel ("Quarter-Nösel).

An Ahm was a measure used for wine or beer. An Eimer ("Bucket") was a container that was a fifth of an Ahm. A Viertel ("Fourth") was a fourth of an Eimer. A Stübchen ("Cozy Room") also a Stauf was a measure of wine or beer that was equal to 2 Kannen. It was the approximate amount of wine or beer that could serve an entire room in a tavern. A Kanne was a measure of wine or beer large enough to fill a humpen (tankard) or krug (wine flagon or beer pitcher). A Quartier ("quarter-measure") was a fourth of a Stübchen. A Nösel was a cup or mug of wine or beer.

Actual volumes so measured, however, varied from one state or even one city to another. Within Saxony, for example, the "Dresden jar" held approximately 1 US quart or 0.95 litres or 0.83 imperial quarts, so a nösel in Dresden was about 1 US pint (0.47 L; 0.83 imp pt). The full volume of a "Leipzig jar" measured 1.2 liters (1.3 U.S. qt; 1.1 imp qt); the Leipzig nösel was therefore 0.6 liters (0.63 U.S. qt; 0.53 imp qt).

1⁄320 Ahm = 1⁄64 Eimer = 1⁄16 Viertel = 1⁄8 Stübchen / Stauf = 1⁄4 Kannen = 1⁄2 Quartiers = 1 Nösel = 2 Halbnöseln = 4 Viertelnöseln

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 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 19.36 square yards (16.19 m2; 0.00400 acres)

Mass

Pfund

Mark

1⁄2Pfund. Equal to 233.856  g (Cologne).

Unze

1⁄16Pfund. Roughly equal to 29.23  g .

Loth

1⁄32Pfund, or 1⁄16Mark. Equal to 14.606  g (Prussia).

Quentchen

1⁄96Pfund. Roughly equal to 4.872  g .

Quint

1⁄128Pfund. Roughly equal to 3.65  g .

Pfennig

1⁄512Pfund. Roughly equal to 0.9135  g .

Gran

1⁄7690Pfund. Roughly equal to 0.0609  g .

See also

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. ↑ Harasimowicz, Jan [in Polish]; Suleja, Włodzimierz [in Polish] (2000). Encyklopedia Wrocławia (in Polish) (Wyd. 1 ed.). Wrocław: Wydawn. Dolnośląskie. ISBN   9788370237493. OCLC   46420892.
  3. ↑ Davies, Norman; Moorhouse, Roger (2002). Mikrokosmos : portret miasta środkowoeuropejskiego : Vratislava, Breslau, Wrocław (in Polish). Translated by Pawelec, Andrzej (Wyd. 1 ed.). Kraków: Wydawn. Znak. ISBN   9788324001729. OCLC   50928641.
  4. ↑ "Historie der Postsäulen" (in German). Forschungsgruppe Kursächsische Postmeilensäulen e.V. und 1. Sächsischer Postkutschenverein e.V. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 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
  6. 1 2 3 Tate (1868) , p. 49

Bibliography

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