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Wikipedia / German units of measurement

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 500grams.

Efforts to consolidate the many local systems led to the North German Confederation's Weights and Measures Ordinance of 17 August 1868. It set the metre and kilogram as the common standards and, after a transition period, made the metric system mandatory from 1 January 1872. For merchants, this meant converting or replacing existing measures, weights, and scales; instruments approved for trade use were checked against the new official standards and stamped as verified.

The metric system became compulsory in Austria on 1 January 1876.

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 both the United Kingdom (imperial units) and 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 that 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. "...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 54.7cm of cloth, in Mainz 55.1cm, in Nuremberg 65.6cm, in Freiburg 53.5cm..."

Length

Meile (mile)

A German geographic mile (geographische Meile) is defined as of an equatorial degree, equal to . 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 (the Reichsmeile), but before then there were many local and regional variants (of which some are shown below):

Wegstunde

One hour's travel, used up to the 19th century. In Germany Meile or . After 1722 in Saxony post mile = 1000 Dresden rods = . In Switzerland .

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 gives the following values:

Rute (rod)

The Rute or Ruthe is of Carolingian origin, 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 lists the following:

Klafter

Typically 6feet. Regional variants from in Baden to 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 .

Elle (ell)

Distance between elbow and fingertip. In the North, often 2feet, in Prussia feet, in the South variable, often feet. The smallest known German Elle is , the longest .

Zoll (inch)

Usually foot, but also and .

Linie

Usually inch, but also .

Volume

Quent

It is 1/5 of any measure.

Malter

It is a larger volume unit of around one large sack of wheat that a person could carry. However, the exact volumetric size and weight were locally very different in each feudal state. For more details, see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malter_(Einheit).

Klafter

For firewood, .

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 called a Stauf, was a measure of wine or beer that was equal to two 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 , so a nösel in Dresden was about . The full volume of a "Leipzig jar" measured ; the Leipzig nösel was therefore .

  1. <big> Ahm = Eimer = Viertel = Stübchen / Stauf = Kannen = Quartiers = 1 Nösel = 2 Halbnöseln = 4 Viertelnöseln</big>

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 .

Mass

Pfund

Mark

Pfund. Equal to (Cologne).

Unze

Pfund. Roughly equal to .

Loth

Pfund, or Mark. Equal to (Prussia).

Quentchen

Pfund. Roughly equal to .

Quint

Pfund. Roughly equal to .

Pfennig

Pfund. Roughly equal to .

Gran

Pfund. Roughly equal to .

See also

References

Bibliography

  • François Cardarelli: Encyclopedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins. Springer, Berlin 2003.

  • Helmut Kahnt, Bernd Knorr: Alte Masse, Münzen und Gewichte. Bibliographisches Institut Mannheim/Wien/Zürich 1987. (Lizenzausgabe von VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig 1986)

  • Wolfgang Trapp: Kleines Handbuch der Maße, Zahlen, Gewichte und der Zeitrechnung. Reclam Stuttgart, 2. Auflage 1996.

  • Günther Scholz, Klaus Vogelsang: Kleines Lexikon: Einheiten, Formelzeichen. Fachbuchverlag Leipzig 1991

  • 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.