Obsolete German units of measurement

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The obsolete units of measurement of German-speaking countries consist of a variety of units, with varying local standard definitions. 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.

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 the United Kingdom (imperial units) and the United States (United States customary units).

German system[edit]

Before the introduction of the metric system in German, 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 Rudolstädt (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[edit]

Meile (mile)[edit]

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 7,500 m (24,606 ft) (the Reichsmeile), but before then there were many local and regional variants (of which some are shown below):

Some kinds of Meile Place

Distance
in metres (feet)

Notes Bavaria (Bayern)

7,415 m (24,327 ft)

Connected to a ​1⁄15 equatorial degree as 25,406 Bavarian feet. Württemberg

7,449 m (24,439 ft) Reichsmeile

7.5 km (4.7 mi)
7,500 m (24,606 ft)

'imperial mile' – New mile when the metric system was introduced. Prohibited by law in 1908. Anhalt

7,532 m (24,711 ft) Denmark, Prussia

7,532 m (24,711 ft)

24,000 Prussian feet. Also known as "(Dänische/Preußische) Landmeile". In 1816, king Frederick William III of Prussia adopted the Danish mile at 7,532 m (24,711 ft), or 24,000 Prussian feet. Saxony (Sachsen)

7,500 m (24,606 ft)

In the 17th–18th century or so, 9,062 m (29,731 ft) = 32,000 (Saxon) feet; later 7,500 m (24,606 ft) (as in Prussia and the rest of Germany). Schleswig-Holstein

8,803 m (28,881 ft) Baden

8,000 m (26,247 ft)

8889 m before 1810, 8,944 m (29,344 ft) before 1871 Hesse-Kassel

9,206 m (30,203 ft) Lippe-Detmold

9,264 m (30,394 ft) Saxony (Sachsen)

9,062 m (29,731 ft)

32,000 (Saxon) feet (in the 19th century 7,500 m or 24,606 ft see above). Westfalia (Westfalen)

11,100 m (36,417 ft)

but also 9,250 m (30,348 ft) Oldenburg

9,894 m (32,461 ft) Rhineland (Rheinland)

4,119 m (13,514 ft) Palatinate (Pfalz)

4,630 m (15,190 ft) Osnabrück/France

5,160 m (16,929 ft) Wiesbaden

1,000 m (3,281 ft)

Wegstunde[edit]

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.[2] In Switzerland 16,000 ft or 4.88 km.

Fuß (foot)[edit]

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[3] gives the following values:

Some kinds of Fuß Place

Name

Local equivalent

International (English) equivalents Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle)

Feldmaßfuß

​1⁄6 Klafter

282 mm (11.10 in) Aachen

Baufuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

288 mm (11.34 in) Aargau, Canton of

Fuß

300 mm (11.81 in) Aichstadt, Bavaria

old Fuß

307 mm (12.09 in) Altona, Holstein

Fuß

286 mm (11.26 in) Anspach, Bavaria

Werkfuß

299 mm (11.77 in) Appenzell, Canton of

Fuß

313 mm (12.32 in) Aschaffenberg, Bavaria

Fuß

288 mm (11.34 in) Augsburg, Bavaria

Werkschuh

296 mm (11.65 in) Baden

Reichsfuß

10 Zoll, ​1⁄10 Ruthe

300 mm (11.81 in) Baireuth, Bavaria

Fuß

298 mm (11.73 in) Bamberg, Bavaria

Fuß

303 mm (11.93 in) Basel, Canton of

Stadtschuh

304 mm (11.97 in) Bavaria

Fuß

292 mm (11.50 in) Bergamo, Austria

Fuß

​1⁄6 Cavezzo

435 mm (17.13 in) Berlin

Prussian Reichsfuß

313.8536 mm (12.36 in)[4]Bern, Canton of

gewöhnlicher Fuß

12 Zoll

298 mm (11.73 in) Bern, Canton of

Steinbrecherfuß

13 Zoll

317 mm (12.48 in) Bohemia

Fuß or Stopa

296 mm (11.65 in) Bozen, Austria

Tyroler-Fuß

334 mm (13.15 in) Braunschweig (Brunswick)

Fuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

285 mm (11.22 in) Bremen

Fuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

289 mm (11.38 in) Breslau

old Silesian Fuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

283 mm (11.14 in) Bünden, Canton of

churischer Fuß

322 mm (12.68 in) Calenberg Land

Fuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

292 mm (11.50 in) Carlsruhe (as Baden)

Fuß

300 mm (11.81 in) Cassel, Hessen

Fuß

​1⁄14 Ruthe

287 mm (11.30 in) Cleve, Prussia

Fuß

295 mm (11.61 in) Cöln am Rhein (Cologne), Prussia

Fuß

287 mm (11.30 in) Cremona, Austria

old Fuß

480 mm (18.90 in) Danzig, Prussia

old Fuß

​1⁄2 Elle

287 mm (11.30 in) Darmstadt

Hessian Reichsfuß

10 Zoll

250 mm (9.84 in) Darmstadt

old Darmstadt Fuß

12 Zoll

288 mm (11.34 in) Dordrecht, Netherlands

Fuß

361 mm (14.21 in) Dresden, Saxony

Fuß

260 mm (10.24 in) Duderstadt, Hanover

Fuß

290 mm (11.42 in) Durlach (as Baden)

Fuß

300 mm (11.81 in) Durlach

old Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Emden, Hanover

Fuß

296 mm (11.65 in) Erfurt, Prussia

old Fuß

​1⁄14 Feldruthe, ​1⁄16 Bauruthe

283 mm (11.14 in) Frankfurt am Main

Fuß

285 mm (11.22 in) Freiburg, Canton of

Werkfuß

12 Zoll, ​1⁄10 Werkklafter

293 mm (11.54 in) Friedberg in der Wetterau, Oberhessen

Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Friedrichsstadt, Denmark

Fuß

296 mm (11.65 in) Fulda, Kurhessen

Werkfuß

​1⁄2 Elle

250 mm (9.84 in) Genf (Geneva), Canton of

Fuß

​1⁄8 Ruthe

325 mm (12.80 in) Gießen, Oberhessen

Fuß

298 mm (11.73 in) Glarus, Canton of

Fuß

300 mm (11.81 in) Glatz, Prussia

Werkfuß

287 mm (11.30 in) Göttingen, Hanover

Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Gotha, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Fuß

287 mm (11.30 in) Halle an der Saale, Prussia

Werkfuß

288 mm (11.34 in) Halle an der Saale, Prussia

Feldfuß

433 mm (17.05 in) Hamburg

Fuß

​1⁄6 Klafter, ​1⁄16 Geestruthe

286 mm (11.26 in) Hanau, Hessen

Fuß

​2⁄25 Ruthe

285 mm (11.22 in) Hanover, capital of the Kingdom

Fuß

​1⁄2 Elle, ​1⁄16 Ruthe

292 mm (11.50 in) Heidelberg, Baden

Fuß

278 mm (10.94 in) Heilbronn, Württemberg

Fuß

278 mm (10.94 in) Heiligenstadt, Prussia

old Fuß

283 mm (11.14 in) Herford, Prussia

old Fuß

295 mm (11.61 in) Hildesheim, Hanover

Fuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

280 mm (11.02 in) Holstein

Fuß

296 mm (11.65 in) Innsbruck, Austria

Tyroler-Fuß

317 mm (12.48 in) Königsberg, Prussia

old Fuß

​1⁄15 Ruthe

307 mm (12.09 in) Krakau

Fuß or Stopa

356 mm (14.02 in) Lausanne, Canton of Waadt

Fuß

293 mm (11.54 in) Leipzig, Saxony

gewöhnlicher Fuß

​1⁄2 Elle, ​1⁄6 Klafter ​1⁄16 Ruthe

282 mm (11.10 in) Lemberg, Austria

Galizian Fuß

297 mm (11.69 in) Lemgo, Lippe

Fuß

287 mm (11.30 in) Lindau, Bavaria

Fuß

307 mm (12.09 in) Lindau, Bavaria

Feldmeßschuh, Bauschuh

289 mm (11.38 in) Linz, Austria

Fuß

Klafter

303 mm (11.93 in) Lübeck

Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Lucern, Canton of

Fuß (for wood measure)

314 mm (12.36 in) Lucern, Canton of

Zimmerwerkschuh

304 mm (11.97 in) Lucern, Canton of

Bau- and Feldmeßschuh

284 mm (11.18 in) Milan, Austria

old Fuß

398 mm (15.67 in) Mainz, Hessen

Werkfuß

314 mm (12.36 in) Mainz, Hessen

Kameralfuß (for firewood)

287 mm (11.30 in) Mannheim, Baden

Fuß

290 mm (11.42 in) Mecklenburg

Fuß

​1⁄2 Elle, ​1⁄16 Ruthe

291 mm (11.46 in) Metz, France

old Fuß

406 mm (15.98 in) Mühlhausen, Prussia

Fuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

281 mm (11.06 in) Neufchatel, Principality of

Werkfuß

293 mm (11.54 in) Neufchatel, Principality of

Feldmeßfuß

318 mm (12.52 in) Nordhausen, Prussia

old Fuß

292 mm (11.50 in) Nuremberg, Bavaria

Stadtfuß

​1⁄16 Ruthe

304 mm (11.97 in) Nuremberg, Bavaria

Artillery Fuß

292 mm (11.50 in) Oldenburg

Fuß

​1⁄20 Ruthe

296 mm (11.65 in) Osnabrück, Hanover

Fuß

279 mm (10.98 in) Padua, Austria

Fuß

​1⁄6 Cavezzo

428 mm (16.85 in) Prague, Austria

Bohemian Fuß or Česká stopa

296 mm (11.65 in) Prussia, Rheinland

Reichsfuß

313.8536 mm (12.36 in)[4]Ratzeburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Regensburg, Bavaria

Fuß

313 mm (12.32 in) Rheinbaiern

Fuß

12 Zoll, ​1⁄3 metre

333 mm (13.11 in) Rheinland

Rheinländischer Fuß

313.8536 mm (12.36 in)[4]Rostock, Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Fuß

​1⁄2 Elle, ​1⁄16 Ruthe

286 mm (11.26 in) Sanct Gallen, Canton of

Fuß

313 mm (12.32 in) Schaffhausen, Canton of

Fuß

298 mm (11.73 in) Silesia (Austrian part)

Fuß

289 mm (11.38 in) Solothurn, Canton of

Fuß

293 mm (11.54 in) Stade, Hanover

Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Stettin, Prussia

old Pomeranian Fuß

285 mm (11.22 in) Stralsund, Prussia

old Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Strassburg, France

Fuß

289 mm (11.38 in) Stuttgart

Reichsfuß

​1⁄2 Elle, ​1⁄10 Ruthe

286 mm (11.26 in) Tessin, Canton of

Fuß

397 mm (15.63 in) Thorn, Prussia

old Fuß

297 mm (11.69 in) Trento, Austria

Fuß

366 mm (14.41 in) Trier, Prussia

Land- and Werkfuß

294 mm (11.57 in) Trier, Prussia

Waldfuß

310 mm (12.20 in) Trier, Prussia

Zimmermannsfuß

305 mm (12.01 in) Tyrol, Austria

Fuß

334 mm (13.15 in) Udine, Austria

Fuß

329 mm (12.95 in) Ulm, Württemberg

Fuß

289 mm (11.38 in) Venice, Austria

Fuß

​1⁄5 Passo

348 mm (13.70 in) Verden, Hanover

Fuß

291 mm (11.46 in) Verona, Austria

Fuß

​1⁄6 Cavezzo

347 mm (13.66 in) Vienna, Austria

Fuß

​1⁄6 Klafter

316 mm (12.44 in) Waadt, Canton of

Fuß

10 Zoll, ​1⁄10 Ruthe

300 mm (11.81 in) Wallis, Canton of

Fuß

325 mm (12.80 in) Weimar

Fuß

282 mm (11.10 in) Wesel, Prussia

old Fuß

236 mm (9.29 in) Wetzlar, Prussia

old Fuß

274 mm (10.79 in) Wiesbaden, Nassau

Fuß

288 mm (11.34 in) Wismar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Fuß

292 mm (11.50 in) Wittenberg, Prussia

old Fuß

283 mm (11.14 in) Worbis, Prussia

old Fuß

286 mm (11.26 in) Württemberg

Reichsfuß

​1⁄2 Elle, ​1⁄10 Ruthe

286 mm (11.26 in) Würzburg, Bavaria

Fuß

​1⁄2 Elle

294 mm (11.57 in) Zug, Canton of

Fuß

301 mm (11.85 in) Zug, Canton of

Steinfuß

268 mm (10.55 in) Zürich, Canton of

Fuß

​1⁄6 Klafter, ​1⁄10 Ruthe

301 mm (11.85 in) Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830).[3] The values of the other local units mentioned also varied widely.

Rute (rod)[edit]

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[3] lists the following:

Some kinds of Ruthe Place

Name

Local equivalent

Metric (Imperial) equivalents Aachen (Aix-la-Capelle)

Feldmeßruthe

16 Fuß

4.512 m (14 ft 9.6 in) Baden

Ruthe

10 Fuß

3 m (9 ft 10 in) Basel, Canton of

Ruthe

16 Fuss

4.864 m (15 ft 11.5 in) Bern, Canton of

Ruthe

10 Fuss

2.932 m (9 ft 7.4 in) Braunschweig (Brunswick)

Ruthe

16 Fuß

4.565 m (14 ft 11.7 in) Bremen

Ruthe

8 Ellen or 16 Fuß

4.626 m (15 ft 2.1 in) Calenberg

Ruthe

16 Fuß

4.677 m (15 ft 4.1 in) Cassel, Hessen

Ruthe

14 Fuß

4.026 m (13 ft 2.5 in) Hamburg

Geestruthe

16 Fuß

4.583 m (15 ft 0.4 in) Hamburg

Marschruthe

14 Fuß

4.010 m (13 ft 1.9 in) Hannover

Ruthe

16 Fuß

4.671 m (15 ft 3.9 in) Lever, Oldenburg

Ruthe

20 Fuß

4.377 m (14 ft 4.3 in) Mecklenburg

Ruthe

16 Fuß

4.655 m (15 ft 3.3 in) Nuremberg, Bavaria

Ruthe

16 Fuß

4.861 m (15 ft 11.4 in) Oldenburg

Ruthe

20 Fuß

5.927 m (19 ft 5.3 in) Prussia, Rheinland

Ruthe

12 Fuß

3.766 m (12 ft 4.3 in) Saxony

Ruthe

16 Leipziger Fuß

4.512 m (14 ft 9.6 in) Württemberg

Reichsruthe

10 Fuß

2.865 m (9 ft 4.8 in) Württemberg

old Ruthe

16 Fuß

4.583 m (15 ft 0.4 in) Zürich, Canton of

Ruthe

10 Fuss

3.009 m (9 ft 10.5 in) Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830).[3] The value of the local Fuß also varied widely.

Klafter[edit]

Originally 6 feet, after introduction of the metric system 10 feet. Regional variants from 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) in Baden to 3 m (9 ft 10 in) in Switzerland.

Lachter[edit]

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 (6 ft 3 in and 6 ft 11 in).

Elle (ell)[edit]

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)[edit]

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

Linie[edit]

Usually ​1⁄12 inch, but also ​1⁄10.

Volume[edit]

Quent[edit]

Being 1/5 of any measure

Klafter[edit]

For firewood, 2.905 m3 (102.6 cu ft)

Nösel[edit]

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)

Weight[edit]

Pfund[edit]

Old German (Prussian): Unit equivalent to 467.7 g (1.031 lb)
more recent: 500 g (1.102 lb)

Mark[edit]

​1⁄2 Pfund. Equal to 233.9g (Roughly 8.250oz)

Onze[edit]

​1⁄16 of a Pfund. Equal to 29.23g (Roughly 1.031oz)

Loth[edit]

​1⁄32 of a Pfund, or ​1⁄16 of a Mark. Equal to 14.62g (Roughly 0.512oz)

Quentchen[edit]

​1⁄96 of a Pfund. Roughly Equal to 4.872g

Quint[edit]

​1⁄128 of a Pfund. Roughly Equal to 3.654g

Pfennig[edit]

​1⁄512 of a Pfund. Roughly Equal to 0.9135g

Gran[edit]

​1⁄7690 of a Pfund. Equal to 60.9mg (0.9398306 grains)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• 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) (in German)
• Wolfgang Trapp: Kleines Handbuch der Maße, Zahlen Gewichte und der Zeitrechnung. Von . Reclam Stuttgart, 2. Auflage 1996. ISBN 3-15-008737-6 (in German)
• Günther Scholz, Klaus Vogelsang: Kleines Lexikon: Einheiten, Formelzeichen. Fachbuchverlag, Leipzig 1991 ISBN 3-343-00500-2 (in 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 (in German)

• William Tate (1868). The Modern Cambist: Forming a Manual of Foreign Exchanges, in the Different Operations of Bills of Exchange and Bullion, According to the Practice of All Trading Nations, with Tables of Foreign Weights and Measures, and Their Equivalents in English and French.

External links[edit]