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 1 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),History of the metric system#The German Zollverein the length of the klafter (kl) was established as exactly 1.89648384 metres.
Measures
+Austrian units of measurementName of unitLengthOther equivalentsRelation to SI units Point (Punkt) 182.917 037 μm Line (Linie) 12 points 2.195 004 mmInch (Zoll) 144 points 12 lines 26.340 053 mmFist (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 mmFoot (Fuß) 1,728 points 144 lines = 12 inches 316.080 640 mmKlafter 6 ft 1.896 483 840 m (Viennese klafter)Rod (Rute) 10 ft 3.160 806 400 mMile (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.