Saxon post milestone
An Electorate Postmeilensäule, colloquially known as Saxon Postmeilensäule or just post column is a milestone that indicates distances and walking times accurate to an eighth hour. The design of the stones varies depending on the distance, for which they stand, they may take the form of an obelisk, an ancient herm or a stele have. It was modeled on Roman miles pillars, of which also the incorrect name was derived as a column. The Saxon Oberpostdirektion director Paul propagating prompted their inventory according to official distance investigations, the results of which are listed as specified in the leagues made of hewn stone Postmeilensäule columns.
The Saxon Postmeilensäule columns were erected during the reign of Augustus the Strong and his successor at all major postal and trade routes and in almost all cities of the Electorate of Saxony to indicate the official distances. This should provide the basis for the standardized calculation of postal charges. Since the Electorate of Saxony at that time was much larger than today's state of Saxony, one finds such columns in Thuringia, Brandenburg, Saxony- Anhalt and in Poland.
Locations and pictures of the preserved or re- established Saxon milestones are listed in the gallery of the Saxon Postmeilensäule columns.
Precursor
A systematic survey using established periodically wooden Wegsäulen struck in 1695, the Saxon postmaster, Louis William for the road from Leipzig to Dresden before. Elector August the Strong then ordered on 18 June 1695 " that certain miles owls are gesetzet ". He let the ticket inspector Heinrich Niedhart organize this. The Saxon forester should the wood for the miles column instruct and provide the administrators of the Saxon authorities for the erection of the columns.
Furthermore, (s) column were used as a guide to the streets in Saxony before 1700 so-called arm. These columns consisted of a wooden stake, at the upper end had direction indicator in the form of human arms with hands. Since the wood was rotting quickly through constant exposure to moisture, numerous pillars collapsed a few years after its formation, and were unusable.
The establishment of the post mile columns in the Electorate of Saxony was not a singular phenomenon. From the history of a number of countries is known in which such pillars or stones were erected with distances on roads.
National Survey by Wroth
Formed the basis for the introduction of Saxon pillars Postmeilensäule the cartographic work of the pastor Adam Friedrich Zürner from Skassa. Wroth had made a map of the Great Grove, attention was drawn to him by Augustus the Strong. After another cartographic works issued to him on April 12, 1713, the Elector 's mission: " offices, including those contained therein dominions, manors, towns, villages and the like bring in more mappas geographicas ". This meant the topographical acquisition of Saxon areas. They included next to the heartland of the shares of the Saxon counties Henneberg and Mansfeld, the Schönburger land, the areas of the Albertine branch lines Saxe- Merseburg, Saxony- Weissenfels and Saxony- Zeitz and the two Lusatias.
The resulting maps was for military reasons several decades largely secret. Only the result of the expansion took place a few weeks later the surveying job - creating an improved post- Map - let publish the elector. The first time in 1718 published " Chur- Saxon post- Charter " remained with new editions to the 19th century in use.
Since the distance information frequently based on inaccurate estimates at that time, Wroth had the distances recalculate or verify the existing data. For this purpose he constructed a test car in the form of a Saxon baggage car. The rear of the car with the circumference of a Dresdner Rute ( 4,531 m) were each revolution further by a chain to a counter in the car. Zürners agents used a measuring cart for coach not suitable for paths, which are also on the rotation of the wheel measured the distance and was carried as a so-called fifth wheel on the wagon in a sheath on the test car. Both methods allowed a very accurate measurement of the roads.
Another problem was the different units. In the electorate of that time there were several miles extent. To standardize therefore on March 17, 1722 (2 leagues = 2000 Dresdner rods = 9.062 km = 1 miles ), the Electorate of Saxony postal mile introduced. As distance information on the distance columns Zürner used the league, which corresponded to a half-mile.
The test runs began usually in Leipzig or in Dresden, where the counter was set at the respective post house to zero. Therefore, it was also spoken by a Leipzig or Dresden distance. For this cruise the assistant to the surveyor had each time after a quarter of a mile turn a numbered wooden peg distance and dig a hole next to it. The excavated material was then used to attach the wood pile. For the protection of surveying the pile of the owner of the land had to provide.
In some cases, the measurements were continued outside the electorate. Wherever Saxon territory was interrupted by other dominions, was on roads where the Saxon wrong post, also measured with the permission of the owner.
In particular, in Upper Lusatia, the National Survey was difficult because there were trying to prevent the activity Zürners the stands. Only from the June 29, 1723 Wroth could not start the survey of Upper and Lower Lusatia. The survey work on the main roads of the country were completed in 1733.
Construction of columns
On September 19, 1721 the Electoral command was sent to the offices of the cities of Dresden, Meissen and Großenhain to build stone Postmeilensäule columns. On November 1, 1721, the command was extended to the entire country. On the same day the competent authority, adopted the General Regulation " setting the stone post- pillars" and the instruction that the costs assumed to take over by the landowners of the proposed for the sites. For the Upper Lusatia took place on November 24, 1721, a separate statement.
Which columns should be set in detail, Wroth, August the Strong worked so on December 14, 1721 by decree commissioned itself. Wroth stipulated that right at the gates of the city a great distance column, all quarter-mile quarter mile column, every half- mile half mile column and all the miles a full mile column had to be built. During the Saxon portion of the county Henneberg instead of the stone pillars cast iron columns were to be built, was erected not a single column in the Saxon portion of the county of Mansfeld.
Originally distance about 300 columns and about 1200 street columns were set. Of these, about 200 are still at least partially preserved yet or have been faithfully reconstructed, also modeled after 1990 in larger numbers.
Today the Old Dresden- Teplitz Post Road applies in their Saxon section as the most fully occupied with preserved Postmeilensäule pillars historical transport connection.
The particular material used for the columns in Saxony is vielzahlig and represents the relevant Baugesteine of the country, which are also reflected as architecture- defining materials in the Saxon architectural landscape. You used the Elbe Sandstone from multiple extraction locations in Saxon Switzerland and the grounds of the Tharandter forest for most objects. Frequent applications are also occupied with the Rochlitzer porphyry in Central Saxony or the Lusatian Granite in eastern Saxony. In the area of Chemnitz Hilbersdorfer porphyry shall be additional as column material, which was won in Hilbersdorf and Floeha. In the upper Erzgebirge and the Vogtland pillars have been erected from granites of these areas, such as Wiesaer granite, granite stone of the Griffin area, Schwarzenberger granite, Kirchberger granite or granite bathroom Brambacher the " Fichtelgebirge " type. The variety of rocks associated with this problem of differentiated weathering behavior proves in some cases as historic preservation challenge. For this reason, numerous columns no longer exists.
Resistors
Both the cost and the responsibility for the setting of the columns had to the respective authorities of the place take over, therefore, the measures did not meet with unanimous approval in the country. Because the performance of the cities was very different depending on the industry structure and size, met the financial burden that places very different. Regardless of their size, they often had a similar number of gates and therefore establish a comparable number of columns. Frequently, there were three to five goals. The Saxon Landtag in 1722 asked the Elector, to dispense with the costly project that aroused the opposition of many city councils and landowners throughout the country. Many cities tried to ignore the adoption or procrastinate.
For the implementation of the instructions the elector had to resort to harsh measures and threatened with a " command" from the July 24, 1722 for negligence, Säumigkeiten or damage to the columns disciplinary action and on September 7, 1724 again every official in missed deadlines and each individual negligence penalties in height of 20 thalers to. Especially on the streets means of Saxony, in the places Colditz, Grimsby, Oschatz, Rochlitz and Waldheim, as well as the routes of these cities to Leipzig and from there to Zeitz the gaps appeared particularly striking and were in the Decree of 7 September subject of a public reprimand by the elector.
Many places aimed at in the course of this conflict, having to put up only a column. Wroth knew the situation of many small communities very closely. He went through the implementation of the project to over to support the cities in their endeavor and interceded with the Elector for his consent. This she gave in many cases, according to the requests of the cities. At the national roads are now set on wooden Armsäulen or repaired existing properties. After 1727, the practice of a column per city in many cases had prevailed.
As already from September 19, 1721 24 points comprehensive memorandum was accompanied by a list of benefits of the regulation to the command, you seem to have expected problems from the beginning. The advantages of the national survey, the memorandum called for example, that the payment of " Bothen, relay races, items and other carts " will be checked and the prices could not be fixed arbitrarily, that there would be less complaints from travelers about high fees, to this time courts and higher authorities engaged in high level, and that way and journey time would be first established precisely by the survey. Another argument has been that roads in the winter and at night are better recognizable.
Particularly strong was the resistance to the post mile column in Upper Lusatia. The city councils of Bautzen and Görlitz refused in 1723 to receive Wroth at this matter at all. It was only on 31 March 1724 the estates of Upper Lusatia agreed to follow instructions.
Since few columns were damaged or even knocked down, put a command from 1724 for such acts of imprisonment and other "hard and exemplary punishments " fixed.
Due to the continuing resistance was finally on 12 April 1728 Saxon parliament with the decision to erect the pillars only on main and Post Roads, to enforce against the Elector.
Appearance
To what extent was involved Augustus the Strong self in the development of designs for the columns, is unclear. The ultimate baroque, antique models following appearance of the columns is associated with the former Higher Regional architect Matthäus Daniel Poeppelmann.
Distance column
The large distance column consists of seven parts. The base form base, pedestal and Postamentbekrönung. The superstructure consists of intermediate plate ( shaft foot ) shaft, crest piece and top (peak ). The columns have an average height of 8 yards ( 4.53 meters) and resting on a half a cubit high foundation. The individual parts of the column are held together by means of cast iron with lead pins. On the shaft of the column is the target direction, held at the direction Zürners in fracture and created on the basis of distance tables, which were developed for each city. Some broken by boundaries, are characterized by gr or a horizontal line. Part of the inscription is on all columns an attached on all four sides Posthorn, which stood as a symbol of the national postal authority. On the coat of arms of the Electorate of Saxony superstructure mounted with gilt crown and the Polish crown with the royal coat of arms over the Polish-Lithuanian corner.
Originally dating from before the gate pillars supported mostly on two sides, the distance and information on the other two the city name of the destination. Later built directly on the square columns containing contrast on all four sides, the distance information.
Quite mile column
The all- mile column was erected to mark every full mile on the Post Road. It is about 3.75 meters high and is similar in shape to the large distance column. However, it is slimmer and has no crest part. The label is attached on two sides, so that the traveler could read this in the direction of travel. On the street side there is the so-called row number, with all the road blocks and columns are numbered. Since each quarter of a mile a number is assigned, each full mile column has a divisible by four row number.
Half- mile column
The half- mile column, also called the hours column, because the hour corresponded Wegemaß than half a mile, has a low base and an overlying, tapering from top to bottom shaft. A roof-shaped beveled plate forms the upper end. The total height is about 3 feet. She wears the same inscriptions as the all- mile column. The hermenähnliche design of the post half- mile column meant that today only a few of this type are obtained. The row number is always even, but not divisible by four.
Quarter milestone
The fourth milestone rests on a low plinth and consists of a rectangular plate or stele. The total height is about 1.7 meters. Inscriptions were not intended for this column, they bear only the initials "AR", a post horn, the year of production and, on the narrow side facing the street, which always odd row number.
Quite mile column on the Old Dresden- Teplitz Post Road in width-
Half- mile column in Mark Neukirchen
Quarter milestone in Bad Lausick
Quarter milestone in Landwüst
Successor
In the Kingdom of Saxony were completed preparations for the introduction of the metric system in connection with the work of Normalaichungscommission and the related lead work by Albert Christian Weinlig and Julius Ambrosius Hülsse. These provided for a transitional period for old units. Almost simultaneously ran these efforts at the level of the German Confederation. According to a new survey in 1858 was 1859-1865 a new system of milestones - the Royal Saxon milestones in the form of station, Full -mile, half- mile, junction and border crossing stones - created ( 1840: 1 mile = 7.5 km ). These were converted in part to kilometers, road, corridor limit or road guards stones after the introduction of the metric system in 1900.