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{{short description |Historical unit of measurement}}
{{italic title}}
[[File:Regensburg - Altes Rathaus - Masse - 2016.jpg|thumb|Measures of length: the ''Schuh'', ''Elle'' and ''Klafter'' at the {{ill|Altes Rathaus (Regensburg)|lt=Altes Rathaus|de||ru|Старая ратуша (Регенсбург)}}, Regensburg]]
[[File:Fischauer Tor Wiener Neustadt Absteckpunkt 1192 Erwin Reidinger.jpg|thumb|{{ill|Erwin Reidinger|de}} explains the land survey of Wiener Neustadt at Point 1192 near the old Fischauer Gate. The symbolic survey lines on the pavement were measured in ''klafters''.]]
The '''''klafter''''' is an historical unit of length, volume and area that was used in Central Europe.

== Unit of length ==
As a [[Unit of length|unit of length]], the ''klafter'' was derived from the span of a man's outstretched arms and was traditionally about 1.80 [[Metre|metre]]s (m). In Austria, its length was, for example, 1.8965&nbsp;m, in [[Place:Prussia|Prussia]] 1.88&nbsp;m. In [[History:Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavaria]], however, a ''klafter'' was only 1.751155&nbsp;m, in Hesse it was significantly larger at 2.50&nbsp;m. The Viennese or Lower Austrian ''klafter'' was fixed by Rudolf&nbsp;II as a measure of length as of 19 August 1588.<ref>Joseph Jäckel: ''Zimmentirungslexikon für alle Handels- und Geschwerbsleute nach den österreichischen Zimmentirungsschriften.'' Anton Strauß, Vienna, 1824, p.&nbsp;108.</ref> When, in 1835, the {{wipe|Switzerland}} units were defined using the [[Metric system|metric system]], 1 Swiss ''klafter'' (of 6&nbsp; Swiss feet each of 0.30&nbsp;m) corresponded exactly to 1.80&nbsp;m.

In Aachen, Baden, Bavaria, [[Place:Bohemia|Bohemia]], [[Place:Hamburg|Hamburg]], Leipzig, {{wipe|Poland}}, Trier and Zurich the ''klafter'' was exactly six feet, but in the Canton of Fribourg it measured 10 feet.<ref>Johann Friedrich Krüger: ''Vollständiges Handbuch der Münzen, Maße und Gewichte aller Länder der Erde.'' Verlag Gottfried Basse, Quedlinburg/Leipzig, 1830, pp.&nbsp;138, 219.</ref>

In [[Earth:Bathymetry|nautical units of depth]], the ''klafter'' corresponds to the [[Fathom|fathom]].

=== Baseline ===
The survey of Austria-Hungary began in 1762 with the construction of the Vienna Neustadt Baseline (''Wiener Neustädter Grundlinie'') which was 6,410, later 5,000, ''klafters'' long, represented by 5 measuring rods of 1 ''klafter'' in length made of varnished wood.

== Unit of volume ==
<!--{{Main article|Holzklafter}}-->
The old [[Physics:Unit of volume|unit of dry volume]] for split firewood, or ''Scheitholz'', was based on this unit of length. A ''klafter'' of [[Biology:Wood|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 [[Stere|stere]]s or approximately 2 to 3 [[Cubic metre|m³]] of wood. The old Prussian ''klafter'' corresponded to 3.339 m³; in Austria, a ''klafter'' was equivalent to 3.386 m³.<ref>Peters: ''Rechne, schreibe, rechne richtig!'' Fully revised edition. Buchgemeinschaft Donauland, Vienna, 1964, p.&nbsp;456.</ref> By comparison the North American [[Cord (unit)|cord]], used to measure firewood and pulpwood, is slightly larger at 3.62 m³.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

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

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

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.<ref>Benjamin Scholz, Joseph Franz Jacquin: ''Anfangsgründe der Physik als Vorbereitung zum Studium der Chemie.'' Camesina Buchhandlung, Vienna, 1816, p. 133.</ref>
* 1 [[Foot (unit)|foot]] (Viennese) = 140.131 Paris lines = 0.3161 [[Metre|metre]]s
* 1 cubic ''klafter'' (Viennese) = 216 cubic feet = 6.8224 cubic metres
The cubic foot generally had 1,728 cubic inches, each with 1,728 cubic lines, each with 1,728 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 1,728 cubic inches of 1,728 cubic lines etc.
* 1 Viennese cubic ''klafter'' = 6.82234457176 cubic metres
* 1 cubic ''klafter'' foot = 1.1370574286 cubic metres
* 1 cubic-''klafter'' -inch = 94754785.7 cubic millimetres
* 1 cubic-''klafter'' line = 7896232.1 cubic millimetre
* 1 cubic ''klafter'' point = 658019.3 cubic millimetre
* 1 cubic foot = 0.0315749412 cubic metres
* 1 cubic inch = 18249.3 cubic millimetres
* 1 cubic line = 10.56 cubic millimetres
The ''Rahmklafter'',<ref>''Illustrierter Bürger-Calender für alle Kronländer der österreichischen Monarchie.'' 1852, Anton Schweiger, Vienna, 1852, p. 147.</ref> as the unit of timber measurement was called in Austria, was defined for long and short firewood as follows:
* 1 ''Rahmklafter''of long firewood = 6 feet long and 6 feet high, 1 1/4 [[Ell|ell]]s of log length, about 111 cubic feet
* 1 ''Rahmklafter''of 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.

== Unit of area ==
In Austria, 1&nbsp;[[Yoke (unit of measurement)|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&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> and 0.575&nbsp;ha, respectively. 1 square ''klafter'' (Viennese) was equivalent to 3.5979 square metres.<ref>Johann Conrad Gernrath: ''Abhandlung der Bauwissenschaften oder Theoretisch-praktischer Unterricht in der gemeinen bürgerlichen Baukunst, in dem Strassenbau (etc.).'' J.&nbsp;Gastl, Brünn, 1825, p.&nbsp;573.</ref>

In [[History:Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)|Croatia]], the square ''klafter'' was used as unit of area and equalled 3.596652&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>. It is sometimes still used today.<ref>{{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}}</ref>  

In the Swiss Chur Rhine Valley and the Prättigau, the meadowland was measured in ''klafters''.<ref name="Idiotikon-3-633"/>

In the adjoining Principality of Liechtenstein, the square ''klafter'' is still used today for the measurement of land areas. 1&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> equals 0.27804 square ''klafters'', 1 square ''klafter'' equals 3.59665&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>. The ''klafter'' as a unit of length was consequently about 1.8965 metres long.

In Darmstadt, 1 square ''klafter'' = 100 square feet = 10,000 square inches = 6.25 square metres.<ref name="Noback">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.&nbsp;1, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig, 1851, pp. 215, 463.</ref>

== Similar units in other countries ==
Conversion table of 1838<ref>Gesellschaft Gelehrter und praktischer Kaufleute: ''Allgemeine Enzyklopädie für Kaufleute und Fabrikanten so wie für Geschäftsleute überhaupt: oder, Vollständiges Wörterbuch''. Verlag Otto Wigand, Leipzig, 1838.</ref>
* Canton of Neuchâtel, Canton of Berne (French-speaking part)
** 1 toise = 10 feet ''(pieds)''<ref name=hls>{{HLS|14195|''Klafter''|author={{ill|Anne-Marie Dubler|de}}}}</ref>
* Canton of Valais (French-speaking part)
** 1 ''klafter'' = 6 French feet ''(pieds de roi)''<ref name=hls/>
* 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) = 1,000 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)<ref name=hls/>
* {{wipe|France}}
** 1 [[Toise|toise]] usuelle = 6 pieds = 2 metres = 1.026148 Parisian toise (old)
* Piedmont during the French reign
** 1 tesa = 5 piedi manuali = 759.17 Paris lines = 3.0826 metres
* Milan under French occupation
** 1 Cavese di Modena, Modenese ''klafter'' = 6 Modenese feet (1 foot = 281.2 Paris lines = 0.63433 m)
* {{wipe|Russia}}
** 1 sazhen = 3 arshin = 2.13356 metres
* {{wipe|Poland}}
** 1 sążeń = 8 feet
* {{wipe|Spain}} and former colonies
** 1 toesa, braza, estado = 2 varas = 6 pies
* Portugal, also {{wipe|Brazil}} (value deviating)
** 1 braça = 2 varas = 8 polegadas
* Italy, Spain, France, North Coast Africa
** 1 cañe, xanne (great ell)

== See also ==
* [[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)]]

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==

[[Category:Obsolete units of measurement]]
[[Category:Units of length]]
[[Category:Human-based units of measurement]]

{{Sourceattribution|Klafter}}