This article is about the unit of measurement. For the Israeli chemical physics professor, see Joseph Klafter.
Measures of length: the Schuh, Elle and Klafter at the Altes Rathaus[de; ru], RegensburgErwin Reidinger[de] explains the land survey of Wiener Neustadt at Point 1192 near the old Fischauer Gate. The symbolic survey lines on the pavement were measured in klafters.
The klafter is an historical unit of length, volume and area that was used in Central Europe.
As a unit of length, the klafter was derived from the span of a man's outstretched arms and was traditionally about 1.80 metres (m). In Austria, its length was, for example, 1.8965m, in Prussia1.88m. In Bavaria, however, a klafter was only 1.751155m, in Hesse it was significantly larger at 2.50m. The Viennese or Lower Austrian klafter was fixed by RudolfII as a measure of length as of 19 August 1588.[1] When, in 1835, the Swiss units were defined using the metric system, 1 Swiss klafter (of 6Swiss feet each of 0.30m) corresponded exactly to 1.80m.
The survey of Austria-Hungary began in 1762 with the construction of the Vienna Neustadt Baseline (Wiener Neustädter Grundlinie) which was 6410, later 5000, klafters long, represented by 5 measuring rods of 1 klafter in length made of varnished wood.
Unit of volume
The old unit of dry volume for split firewood, or Scheitholz, was based on this unit of length. A klafter of wood corresponded to a stack of wood with a length and height of one klafter; the depth of this pile corresponded to the length of the log but, as a rule was 3 feet long, that is 0.5 klafters. The volume of a pile of logs was therefore only 0.5 cubic klafters. This in turn corresponded, depending on the area, to 3 to 4 steres or approximately 2 to 3 m3 of wood. The old Prussian klafter corresponded to 3.339m3; in Austria, a klafter was equivalent to 3.386m3.[3] By comparison the North American cord, used to measure firewood and pulpwood, is slightly larger at 3.62m3.[4]
In Switzerland, Werdenfelser Land and parts of Lower Franconia, a klafter of logs corresponds to 3.0m3 (steres) of stacked firewood since the introduction of the metric system. Usually the logs are 1m long. One klafter of firewood is thus equivalent to about 2.2m3.
Hay was also sometimes measured in klafters in the 19th century.[5]
The cubic klafter was not standardised as the length of a foot varied depending on the region. The cubic klafter used for wood could also differ. Here is an example of the Austrian units.[6]
The Rahmklafter,[7] as the unit of timber measurement was called in Austria, was defined for long and short firewood as follows:
1 Rahmklafterof long firewood = 6 feet long and 6 feet high, 1 1/4 ells of log length, about 111 cubic feet
1 Rahmklafterof short firewood = 6 feet long and 6 feet high, 1 ell of log length, about 90 cubic feet
Two klafters were counted for one Stoß or livestock unit.
Unit of area
In Austria, 1yoke (Joch, with which the size of fields was measured) comprised 1,600 square klafters with sides measuring 8 by 200 klafters, thus about 5,754m2 and 0.575ha, respectively. 1 square klafter (Viennese) was equivalent to 3.5979 square metres.[8]
In Croatia, the square klafter was used as unit of area and equalled 3.596652m2. It is sometimes still used today.[9]
In the adjoining Principality of Liechtenstein, the square klafter is still used today for the measurement of land areas. 1m2 equals 0.27804 square klafters, 1 square klafter equals 3.59665m2. The klafter as a unit of length was consequently about 1.8965 metres long.
↑ Joseph Jäckel: Zimmentirungslexikon für alle Handels- und Geschwerbsleute nach den österreichischen Zimmentirungsschriften. Anton Strauß, Vienna, 1824, p.108.
↑ Johann Friedrich Krüger: Vollständiges Handbuch der Münzen, Maße und Gewichte aller Länder der Erde. Verlag Gottfried Basse, Quedlinburg/Leipzig, 1830, pp.138, 219.
1 2 'Swiss Idiotikon' Vol. III, Col. 633, article Chlāfter.
↑ Benjamin Scholz, Joseph Franz Jacquin: Anfangsgründe der Physik als Vorbereitung zum Studium der Chemie. Camesina Buchhandlung, Vienna, 1816, p. 133.
↑ Illustrierter Bürger-Calender für alle Kronländer der österreichischen Monarchie. 1852, Anton Schweiger, Vienna, 1852, p. 147.
↑ Johann Conrad Gernrath: Abhandlung der Bauwissenschaften oder Theoretisch-praktischer Unterricht in der gemeinen bürgerlichen Baukunst, in dem Strassenbau (etc.). J.Gastl, Brünn, 1825, p.573.
↑ Christian Noback, Friedrich Eduard Noback: Vollständiges Taschenbuch der Münz-, Maass- und Gewichtsverhältnisse, der Staatspapiere, des Wechsel- und Bankwesens und der Usancen aller Länder und Handelsplätze. Vol.1, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig, 1851, pp. 215, 463.
↑ Gesellschaft Gelehrter und praktischer Kaufleute: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie für Kaufleute und Fabrikanten so wie für Geschäftsleute überhaupt: oder, Vollständiges Wörterbuch. Verlag Otto Wigand, Leipzig, 1838.
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