German units of measurement explained

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.

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 fully in the United States (United States customary units).

German system

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 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.

“...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 equatorial degrees, equal to 7420.54abbr=onNaNabbr=on. 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 75000NaN0 (the Reichsmeile), but before then there were many local and regional variants (of which some are shown below):

Some kinds of Meile
width=180	Place	width=140	Distance in metres (feet)	width=500	Notes
Breslau (Wrocław)	6700m (22,000feet)	Used in all Silesia^[2] ^[3]
Bavaria (Bayern)	7415m (24,327feet)	Connected to a equatorial degree as 25,406 Bavarian feet.
Württemberg	7449m (24,439feet)
Reichsmeile	7.5km (04.7miles) 75000NaN0	'imperial mile' – New mile when the metric system was introduced. Prohibited by law in 1908.
Anhalt	7532m (24,711feet)
Denmark, Prussia	7532m (24,711feet)	24,000 Prussian feet. Also known as "(Dänische/Preußische) Landmeile". In 1816, king Frederick William III of Prussia adopted the Danish mile at 7532m (24,711feet), or 24,000 Prussian feet.
Saxony (Sachsen)	75000NaN0	In the 17th–18th century or so, 9062m (29,731feet) = 32,000 (Saxon) feet; later 75000NaN0 (as in Prussia and the rest of Germany).
Schleswig-Holstein	8803m (28,881feet)
Baden	80000NaN0	8889 m before 1810, 8944m (29,344feet) before 1871
Hesse-Kassel	9206m (30,203feet)
Lippe-Detmold	9264m (30,394feet)
Saxony (Sachsen)	9062m (29,731feet)	32,000 (Saxon) feet (in the 19th century 7500m (24,600feet) see above).
Westfalia (Westfalen)	111000NaN0	but also 92500NaN0
Oldenburg	9894m (32,461feet)
Rhineland (Rheinland)	4119m (13,514feet)
Palatinate (Pfalz)	46300NaN0
Osnabrück/France	51600NaN0
Wiesbaden	10000NaN0

Wegstunde

One hour's travel, used up to the 19th century. In Germany Meile or 3.71abbr=onNaNabbr=on. After 1722 in Saxony post mile = 1000 Dresden rods = 4531 m.^[4] In Switzerland 16000feet.

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:

Some kinds of Fuß
width=180	Place	width=140	Name	width=150	Local equivalent	width=120	Metric (Imperial/US) equivalents

Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle)	Feldmaßfuß	Klafter	282mm
Aachen	Baufuß	Ruthe	2882NaN2
Aargau, Canton of	Fuß		3002NaN2
Aichstadt, Bavaria	old Fuß		3072NaN2
Altona, Holstein	Fuß		2862NaN2
Anspach, Bavaria	Werkfuß		2992NaN2
Appenzell, Canton of	Fuß		3132NaN2
Aschaffenberg, Bavaria	Fuß		2882NaN2
Augsburg, Bavaria	Werkschuh		2962NaN2
Baden	Reichsfuß	10 Zoll, Ruthe	3002NaN2
Baireuth, Bavaria	Fuß		2982NaN2
Bamberg, Bavaria	Fuß		3032NaN2
Basel, Canton of	Stadtschuh		3042NaN2
Bavaria	Fuß		2922NaN2
Bergamo, Austria	Fuß	Cavezzo	4352NaN2
Berlin	Prussian Reichsfuß		313.85362NaN2
Bern, Canton of	gewöhnlicher Fuß	12 Zoll	2982NaN2
Bern, Canton of	Steinbrecherfuß	13 Zoll	3172NaN2
Bohemia	Fuß or Stopa		2962NaN2
Bozen, Austria	Tyroler-Fuß		3342NaN2
Braunschweig (Brunswick)	Fuß	Ruthe	2852NaN2
Bremen	Fuß	Ruthe	2892NaN2
Breslau	old Silesian Fuß	Ruthe	2832NaN2
Bünden, Canton of	churischer Fuß		3222NaN2
Calenberg Land	Fuß	Ruthe	2922NaN2
Carlsruhe (as Baden)	Fuß		3002NaN2
Cassel, Hessen	Fuß	Ruthe	2872NaN2
Cleve, Prussia	Fuß		2952NaN2
Cöln am Rhein (Cologne), Prussia	Fuß		2872NaN2
Cremona, Austria	old Fuß		4802NaN2
Danzig, Prussia	old Fuß	Elle	2872NaN2
Darmstadt	Hessian Reichsfuß	10 Zoll	2502NaN2
Darmstadt	old Darmstadt Fuß	12 Zoll	2882NaN2
Dordrecht, Netherlands	Fuß		3612NaN2
Dresden, Saxony	Fuß		2602NaN2
Duderstadt, Hanover	Fuß		2902NaN2
Durlach (as Baden)	Fuß		3002NaN2
Durlach	old Fuß		2912NaN2
Emden, Hanover	Fuß		2962NaN2
Erfurt, Prussia	old Fuß	Feldruthe, Bauruthe	2832NaN2
Frankfurt am Main	Fuß		2852NaN2
Freiburg, Canton of	Werkfuß	12 Zoll, Werkklafter	2932NaN2
Friedberg in der Wetterau, Oberhessen	Fuß		2912NaN2
Friedrichsstadt, Denmark	Fuß		2962NaN2
Fulda, Kurhessen	Werkfuß	Elle	2502NaN2
Genf (Geneva), Canton of	Fuß	Ruthe	3252NaN2
Gießen, Oberhessen	Fuß		2982NaN2
Glarus, Canton of	Fuß		3002NaN2
Glatz, Prussia	Werkfuß		2872NaN2
Göttingen, Hanover	Fuß		2912NaN2
Gotha, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha	Fuß		2872NaN2
Halle an der Saale, Prussia	Werkfuß		2882NaN2
Halle an der Saale, Prussia	Feldfuß		4332NaN2
Hamburg	Fuß	Klafter, Geestruthe	2862NaN2
Hanau, Hessen	Fuß	Ruthe	2852NaN2
Hanover, capital of the Kingdom	Fuß	Elle, Ruthe	2922NaN2
Heidelberg, Baden	Fuß		2782NaN2
Heilbronn, Württemberg	Fuß		2782NaN2
Heiligenstadt, Prussia	old Fuß		2832NaN2
Herford, Prussia	old Fuß		2952NaN2
Hildesheim, Hanover	Fuß	Ruthe	2802NaN2
Holstein	Fuß		2962NaN2
Innsbruck, Austria	Tyroler-Fuß		3172NaN2
Königsberg, Prussia	old Fuß	Ruthe	3072NaN2
Krakau	Fuß or Stopa		3562NaN2
Lausanne, Canton of Waadt	Fuß		2932NaN2
Leipzig, Saxony	gewöhnlicher Fuß	Elle, Klafter Ruthe	2822NaN2
Lemberg, Austria	Galizian Fuß		2972NaN2
Lemgo, Lippe	Fuß		2872NaN2
Lindau, Bavaria	Fuß		3072NaN2
Lindau, Bavaria	Feldmeßschuh, Bauschuh		2892NaN2
Linz, Austria	Fuß	Klafter	3032NaN2
Lübeck	Fuß		2912NaN2
Lucern, Canton of	Fuß (for wood measure)		3142NaN2
Lucern, Canton of	Zimmerwerkschuh		3042NaN2
Lucern, Canton of	Bau- and Feldmeßschuh		2842NaN2
Milan, Austria	old Fuß		3982NaN2
Mainz, Hessen	Werkfuß		3142NaN2
Mainz, Hessen	Kameralfuß (for firewood)		2872NaN2
Mannheim, Baden	Fuß		2902NaN2
Mecklenburg	Fuß	Elle, Ruthe	2912NaN2
Metz, France	old Fuß		4062NaN2
Mühlhausen, Prussia	Fuß	Ruthe	2812NaN2
Neufchatel, Principality of	Werkfuß		2932NaN2
Neufchatel, Principality of	Feldmeßfuß		3182NaN2
Nordhausen, Prussia	old Fuß		2922NaN2
Nuremberg, Bavaria	Stadtfuß	Ruthe	3042NaN2
Nuremberg, Bavaria	Artillery Fuß		2922NaN2
Oldenburg	Fuß	Ruthe	2962NaN2
Osnabrück, Hanover	Fuß		2792NaN2
Padua, Austria	Fuß	Cavezzo	4282NaN2
Prague, Austria	Bohemian Fuß or Česká stopa		2962NaN2
Prussia, Rheinland	Reichsfuß		313.85362NaN2
Ratzeburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Fuß		2912NaN2
Regensburg, Bavaria	Fuß		3132NaN2
Rheinbaiern	Fuß	12 Zoll, metre	3332NaN2
Rheinland	Rheinländischer Fuß		313.85362NaN2
Rostock, Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Fuß	Elle, Ruthe	2862NaN2
Sanct Gallen, Canton of	Fuß		3132NaN2
Schaffhausen, Canton of	Fuß		2982NaN2
Silesia (Austrian part)	Fuß		2892NaN2
Solothurn, Canton of	Fuß		2932NaN2
Stade, Hanover	Fuß		2912NaN2
Stettin, Prussia	old Pomeranian Fuß		2852NaN2
Stralsund, Prussia	old Fuß		2912NaN2
Strassburg, France	Fuß		2892NaN2
Stuttgart	Reichsfuß	Elle, Ruthe	2862NaN2
Tessin, Canton of	Fuß		3972NaN2
Thorn, Prussia	old Fuß		2972NaN2
Trento, Austria	Fuß		3662NaN2
Trier, Prussia	Land- and Werkfuß		2942NaN2
Trier, Prussia	Waldfuß		3102NaN2
Trier, Prussia	Zimmermannsfuß		3052NaN2
Tyrol, Austria	Fuß		3342NaN2
Udine, Austria	Fuß		3292NaN2
Ulm, Württemberg	Fuß		2892NaN2
Venice, Austria	Fuß	Passo	3482NaN2
Verden, Hanover	Fuß		2912NaN2
Verona, Austria	Fuß	Cavezzo	3472NaN2
Vienna, Austria	Fuß	Klafter	3162NaN2
Waadt, Canton of	Fuß	10 Zoll, Ruthe	3002NaN2
Wallis, Canton of	Fuß		3252NaN2
Weimar	Fuß		2822NaN2
Wesel, Prussia	old Fuß		2362NaN2
Wetzlar, Prussia	old Fuß		2742NaN2
Wiesbaden, Nassau	Fuß		2882NaN2
Wismar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Fuß		2922NaN2
Wittenberg, Prussia	old Fuß		2832NaN2
Worbis, Prussia	old Fuß		2862NaN2
Württemberg	Reichsfuß	Elle, Ruthe	2862NaN2
Würzburg, Bavaria	Fuß	Elle	2942NaN2
Zug, Canton of	Fuß		3012NaN2
Zug, Canton of	Steinfuß		2682NaN2
Zürich, Canton of	Fuß	Klafter, Ruthe	301mm
Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830). The values of the other local units mentioned also varied widely.

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:

Some kinds of Ruthe
width=180	Place	width=140	Name	width=150	Local equivalent	width=120	Metric (Imperial/US) equivalents
Aachen (Aix-la-Capelle)	Feldmeßruthe	16 Fuß	4.512abbr=onNaNabbr=on
Baden	Ruthe	10 Fuß	3m (10feet)
Basel, Canton of	Ruthe	16 Fuss	4.864m (15.958feet)
Bern, Canton of	Ruthe	10 Fuss	2.932m (09.619feet)
Braunschweig (Brunswick)	Ruthe	16 Fuß	4.565m (14.977feet)
Bremen	Ruthe	8 Ellen or 16 Fuß	4.626m (15.177feet)
Calenberg	Ruthe	16 Fuß	4.677m (15.344feet)
Cassel, Hessen	Ruthe	14 Fuß	4.026m (13.209feet)
Hamburg	Geestruthe	16 Fuß	4.583m (15.036feet)
Hamburg	Marschruthe	14 Fuß	4.01m (13.16feet)
Hannover	Ruthe	16 Fuß	4.671m (15.325feet)
Lever, Oldenburg	Ruthe	20 Fuß	4.377m (14.36feet)
Mecklenburg	Ruthe	16 Fuß	4.655m (15.272feet)
Nuremberg, Bavaria	Ruthe	16 Fuß	4.861m (15.948feet)
Oldenburg	Ruthe	20 Fuß	5.927m (19.446feet)
Prussia, Rheinland	Ruthe	12 Fuß	3.766m (12.356feet)
Saxony	Ruthe	16 Leipziger Fuß	4.512m (14.803feet)
Württemberg	Reichsruthe	10 Fuß	2.865m (09.4feet)
Württemberg	old Ruthe	16 Fuß	4.583m (15.036feet)
Zürich, Canton of	Ruthe	10 Fuss	3.009m (09.872feet)
Except where noted, based on Niemann (1830). The value of the local Fuß also varied widely.

Klafter

See main article: Klafter. Originally 6 feet, after introduction of the metric system 10 feet. Regional variants from 1.75m (05.74feet) in Baden to 3m (10feet) in Switzerland.

Lachter

See 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 1.9and.

Elle (ell)

Distance between elbow and fingertip. In the North, often 2 feet, In Prussia feet, in the South variable, often feet. The smallest known German Elle is 402.8abbr=onNaNabbr=on, the longest 811mm.

Zoll (inch)

Usually foot, but also and .

Linie

Usually inch, but also .

Volume

Quent

Being 1/5 of any measure

Malter

Is a larger volumen 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 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malter_(Einheit).

Klafter

See main article: Klafter. For firewood, 2.905m²

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 1lk=onNaNlk=on, so a nösel in Dresden was about 1USpt. The full volume of a "Leipzig jar" measured 1.2L; the Leipzig nösel was therefore 0.6L.

Ahm = Eimer = Viertel = Stübchen / Stauf = Kannen = 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 19.36sqyd

Weight

Pfund

See main article: Zollpfund.

Pfund (Prussia):
Zollpfund: