Calibration Shoe of Speyer
Until the beginning of the 19th century, Speyer had its own method of measuring length and size (mass). On the northern side of the passage through the Old Gate hangs an iron bar, known as the "Calibration Shoe of Speyer" (Speyerer Werkschuh). This 28.899 centimeter-long bar, subdivided into 12 inches, was available for any merchant in Speyer to use. Between 1772 and 1773, Senator Johannes Becker used it to measure the size of the city, including the four communities outside the walls.
Read more about this topic: Old Gate (Speyer)
Famous quotes containing the word shoe:
“A little neglect may breed mischief ... for want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)