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Austrian units of measurement were used in Austria until the adoption of the metric system.
History
In 1756, the ruling Archduchess of Austria, Maria Theresa, ordered that the Viennese klafter as well as its multiples and fractions, should be the state-defined measure of length in the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary. The Viennese cubit, that is 13⁄4 of the Roman cubit (cubitus or elbow), was also used as a measure of length.
The law should also have applied to the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, of which Maria Theresa was queen. However, the traditional Roman foot remained in common use in Prague.
When the metric system was introduced by law on 23 July 1871 (which became obligatory on 1 January 1876), [1] [2][ circular reference] the length of the klafter (kl) was established as exactly 1.89648384 metres.
Measures
| Name of unit | Length | Other equivalents | Relation to SI units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point (Punkt) | 182.917 037 µm | ||
| Line (Linie) | 12 points | 2.195 004 mm | |
| Inch (Zoll) | 144 points | 12 lines | 26.340 053 mm |
| Fist (Faust) | 576 points | 48 lines = 4 inches = 1/3 foot | 105.360 213 mm |
| Span (Spanne) | 2 fists | 2/3 of a foot | 210.72 mm |
| Foot (Fuß) | 1,728 points | 144 lines = 12 inches | 316.080 640 mm |
| Klafter | 6 ft | 1.896 483 840 m (Viennese klafter) | |
| Rod (Rute) | 10 ft | 3.160 806 400 m | |
| Mile (Meile) | 24,000 ft | 4,000 klafters = 2,400 rods | 7.585 935 360 km |
Austrian post-mile, police-mile, geographic mile = 3,910 Viennese klafters.
References
- The information in this article is based on that in its German equivalent.
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