klafter

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, 1.8965 m, in Prussia {{val|1.88|u=m}}. In Bavaria, however, a klafter was only {{val|1.751155|u=m}}, in Hesse it was significantly larger at {{val|2.50|u=m}}. The Viennese or Lower Austrian klafter was fixed by Rudolf II as a measure of length as of 19 August 1588.Joseph Jäckel: Zimmentirungslexikon für alle Handels- und Geschwerbsleute nach den österreichischen Zimmentirungsschriften. Anton Strauß, Vienna, 1824, p. 108. When, in 1835, the Swiss units were defined using the metric system, 1 Swiss klafter (of 6 Swiss feet each of {{val|0.30|u=m}}) corresponded exactly to {{val|1.80|u=m}}.

In Aachen, Baden, Bavaria, Bohemia, Hamburg, Leipzig, Poland, Trier and Zürich the klafter was exactly six feet, but in the Canton of Fribourg it measured 10 feet.Johann Friedrich Krüger: Vollständiges Handbuch der Münzen, Maße und Gewichte aller Länder der Erde. Verlag Gottfried Basse, Quedlinburg/Leipzig, 1830, pp. 138, 219.

In nautical units of depth, the klafter corresponds to the fathom.

The survey of Austria-Hungary began in 1762 with the construction of the Vienna Neustadt Baseline (Wiener Neustädter Grundlinie) which was {{val|6410}}, later {{val|5000}}, klafters long, represented by 5 measuring rods of 1 klafter in length made of varnished wood.

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 {{val|3.339|u=m3}}; in Austria, a klafter was equivalent to {{val|3.386|u=m3}}.Peters: Rechne, schreibe, rechne richtig! Fully revised edition. Buchgemeinschaft Donauland, Vienna, 1964, p. 456. By comparison the North American cord, used to measure firewood and pulpwood, is slightly larger at 3.62 m³.{{cite web | last = British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range | title = Glossary of Forestry Terms in British Columbia | website = | date = | url = http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/glossary/Glossary.pdf | doi = | accessdate = 2008-09-04 }}

In Switzerland, Werdenfelser Land and parts of Lower Franconia, a klafter of logs corresponds to {{val|3.0|u=m3}} (steres) of stacked firewood since the introduction of the metric system. Usually the logs are {{val|1|u=m}} long. One klafter of firewood is thus equivalent to about {{val|2.2|u=m3}}.

Hay was also sometimes measured in klafters in the 19th century.'Swiss Idiotikon' Vol. III, Col. 633, article [http://www.idiotikon.ch/Register/faksimile.php?&band=3&spalte=633 Chlāfter].

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.Benjamin Scholz, Joseph Franz Jacquin: Anfangsgründe der Physik als Vorbereitung zum Studium der Chemie. Camesina Buchhandlung, Vienna, 1816, p. 133.

• 1 foot (Viennese) = {{val|140.131}} Paris lines = {{val|0.3161}} metres
• 1 cubic klafter (Viennese) = 216 cubic feet = {{val|6.8224}} cubic metres

The cubic foot generally had {{val|1728}} cubic inches, each with {{val|1728}} cubic lines, each with {{val|1728}} cubic points.

• 1 cubic klafter (Viennese) = 6 cubic klafter feet of 12 cubic klafter inches of 12 cubic klafter lines of 12 cubic klafter points
• 216 cubic feet of {{val|1728}} cubic inches of {{val|1728}} cubic lines etc.
• 1 Viennese cubic klafter = {{val|6.82234457176}} cubic metres
• 1 cubic klafter foot = {{val|1.1370574286}} cubic metres
• 1 cubic klafter inch = {{val|94754785.7}} cubic millimetres
• 1 cubic klafter line = {{val|7896232.1}} cubic millimetre
• 1 cubic klafter point = {{val|658019.3}} cubic millimetre
• 1 cubic foot = {{val|0.0315749412}} cubic metres
• 1 cubic inch = {{val|18249.3}} cubic millimetres
• 1 cubic line = {{val|10.56}} cubic millimetres

The Rahmklafter,Illustrierter Bürger-Calender für alle Kronländer der österreichischen Monarchie. 1852, Anton Schweiger, Vienna, 1852, p. 147. 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.

In Austria, 1 yoke (Joch, with which the size of fields was measured) comprised 1,600 square klafters with sides measuring 8 by 200 klafters, thus about 5,754 m² and 0.575 ha, respectively. 1 square klafter (Viennese) was equivalent to {{val|3.5979}} square metres.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.

In Croatia, the square klafter was used as unit of area and equalled 3.596652 m². It is sometimes still used today.{{cite web|url=https://regionalni.com/venodjalica-mekota-klafter/|title=Subtitle: What is klafter?|date=2 November 2020|last=Herman|first=Ivan Goran|publisher=Regionalni dnevnik Varaždin}}

In the Swiss Chur Rhine Valley and the Prättigau, the meadowland was measured in klafters.

In the adjoining Principality of Liechtenstein, the square klafter is still used today for the measurement of land areas. 1 m² equals 0.27804 square klafters, 1 square klafter equals 3.59665 m². The klafter as a unit of length was consequently about 1.8965 metres long.

In Darmstadt, 1 square klafter = 100 square feet = {{val|10000}} square inches = 6.25 square metres.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.

Conversion table of 1838Gesellschaft Gelehrter und praktischer Kaufleute: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie für Kaufleute und Fabrikanten so wie für Geschäftsleute überhaupt: oder, Vollständiges Wörterbuch. Verlag Otto Wigand, Leipzig, 1838.

• Canton of Neuchâtel, Canton of Bern (French-speaking part)
• 1 toise = 10 feet (pieds){{HLS|14195|Klafter|author={{ill|Anne-Marie Dubler|de}}}}
• Canton of Valais (French-speaking part)
• 1 klafter = 6 French feet (pieds de roi)
• Canton of Vaud (metric based from 1822)
• 1 toise = 10 feet (pieds) = 3.00 metres
• 1 toise carrée (square) = 100 square feet = 9.00 square metres
• 1 toise cube or toise courante (cubic) = 1000 cubic feet = 27 cubic metres
• Canton of Ticino
• 1 {{ill|spazzo|de}} = 6 feet (piedi) = 1.808 metres
• 1 tesa = 6 feet (piedi) = 1.80 metres (introduced in 1851)
• France
• 1 toise usuelle = 6 pieds = 2 metres = {{val|1.026148}} Parisian toise (old)
• Piedmont during the French reign
• 1 tesa = 5 piedi manuali = 759.17 Paris lines = {{val|3.0826}} metres
• Milan under French occupation
• 1 Cavese di Modena, Modenese klafter = 6 Modenese feet (1 foot = 281.2 Paris lines = {{val|0.63433|u=m}})
• Russia
• 1 sazhen = 3 arshin = {{val|2.13356}} metres
• Poland
• 1 sążeń = 8 feet
• Spain and former colonies
• 1 toesa, braza, estado = 2 varas = 6 pies
• Portugal, also Brazil (value deviating)
• 1 braça = 2 varas = 8 polegadas
• Italy, Spain, France, North Coast Africa
• 1 cañe, xanne (great ell)

• Cord (unit), North American measure of timber volume
• Hoppus, British unit of timber volume
• Orders of magnitude (length)
• Toise, French six-foot unit of length
• Yoke (unit of measurement)

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Category:Obsolete units of measurement

Category:Units of length

Category:Human-based units of measurement

Category:Obsolete Croatian units of measurement

Category:Units of measurement of the Holy Roman Empire