Leaning Tower of Suurhusen
The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen is a church tower in the East Frisian place Suurhusen, municipality of Hinte, who is regarded as the most inclined tower in the world. It belongs to the Evangelical Reformed church Suurhusen - Marienwehr.
With a height of 27.37 meters, the tower on the ridge of the roof has an overhang of 2.47 meters, which corresponds to an angle of 5.19 degrees. With this information, he stands as the record holder (for non- intentional wrong -built building) in the Guinness Book of World Records.
History
The steeple was added in 1450 to the existed since the mid 13th century and earlier towerless church with a floor area of 32 × 9.35 meters. It was built on a foundation of oak logs on peaty soil.
1885 was first noticed that the steeple was inclined to one side. Due to the drainage of the surrounding lands, the water table fell down, which meant that the previously conserved in groundwater oak tribes began to modern.
1917 had to be delivered during the First World War, the bell from the western sound hole against a compensation payment of 4570 marks for the production of war material.
Around 1925, various measurements showed an overhang of the tower by 1.13 m. Therefore, the 12 meter high ridge turret was removed in 1926 as a relief measure. Nevertheless, the tower leaned on. 1929 was a surplus of 1.15 m determine. In 1939, he was already 1.74 m and increased until 1996 to 2.47 m.
1975 the church had to be closed to the public. The organ was sold and the building secured against being entered. 1982 were carried out in private initiative assurance work on the tower. The foundation was excavated and filled with concrete and steel. On October 14, 1985, the church was consecrated again with a celebration service. The tendency was, however, can not be stabilized, so that in 1989 more safeguards were necessary. Since the mid- 1990s, the fall of the tower is considered to be stopped. Today the church is used for worship on festival days.
The church is visited each year by six to eight thousand foreign visitors.
Measurements and data of the tower
- Floor area 121 sqm (11 × 11 m)
- Height 27,37 m
- The approximately two meters thick base masonry resting on oak planks.
- The Gesamtbaugewicht is about 2116 tons.
Special
The tower of the church Suurhuser sparked the Leaning Tower of Pisa from the wrong edge tower in the world in the Guinness Book of World Records, the namely with some measures something could be erected and its tendency is now at 3.97 degrees. More than 10,000 tourists come to the red brick building annually. This is also mentioned in the 2010 Guinness Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi is the highest, intentionally built with a lateral tilt tower in the world.
At the northwest corner of the tower, walled sandstone marks the state of All Saints in 1570 at a height of 4.40 meters above sea level.