Bob, Thanks for explaining Prussian measures. The only question left outstanding is what is a strich? Walt Warnick --------------------- Bob Brooks wrote: > Bill -- > >> My Brunswick ancestor, Daniel Engelcke, is listed in von Riedesel's >> Order Book as 5 Zoll and 0 Strich. Does this mean that he was 5'5" >> tall (as I've thought)? > > > Converting to the modern American/English system, he would be 5' 7" tall. > > 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 Zoll = 2.62 cm; therefore, the conversion factor = > 2.62/2.54 = 1.0315 > > 5 Fuß 5 Zoll 0 Strich = 65.0 Zoll (x 1.0315 inches per Zoll) = 67.0475 > inches.= 5 feet 7.0475 inches. > > Bob Brooks

Walt -- > The only question left outstanding is what is a strich? A "Strich" (in German, nouns are capitalized) trsnslates to "stroke" in English. 1 Zoll comprises 4 Striche; i.e, 1 Strich = 1/4 Zoll. The table in _Johannes Schwalm The Hessisian_ (JSHA, 1976), pp. 218-220, converts the men's heights to feet and inches and gives the excess as [none], 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8" but does not list excesses 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" or 7/8". Stasticically, the number of men which a remainder of 1/2 to 7/8th inch should be about the same as those with a remainder under a half inch; therefore, there was an incorrect conversion used in that Table which applies to 5.Kompanie, Regiment v. Knypahusen. I want to emphasize that we are discussing the old Prussian Fuß -- Zoll -- Strich [foot -- inch -- stroke] system which was used at the time of the AWI. Like Prussia, that system has long been out of use. Over history, there were numerous Fuß/Zoll systems used. For example I found at least half a dozen systems used by the Swiss. During the AWI the "indigenous" system used in Brunswick was based upon a Zoll = 2.378 cm, which is 6.38% smaller than the English system and 9.24% smaller than the Prussian system. For an excellent summary see: Gerhard Friesen, "18th-Century Brunswick Moneys, Weights and Measures" in the 2000 _Journal of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association_, p. 60. Read the text about soldiers because the table uses the "indigenous" measurement. Today Germany is metric and the words/measurements Fuß and Zoll refer to the English/American system. Bob Brooks