Geographical midpoint of Europe
Several tracts of land or villages consider themselves to be the geographical center of Europe. Since there are various methods for calculating the center point, take several places the title for himself; also the borders of Europe to Asia through are not clearly defined. It is more like a tourist curiosities and possibly political relevance as to serious science.
- 2.1 Historical centers of the European Union
- 2.2 Current geographic center of the European Union
Historical calculations
Already in 1775 calculated the Polish cartographer and astronomer Szymon Antoni Sobiekrajski the town Suchowola in Poland as the geographical center of Europe.
Austrian geographer at the time of k.u.k. Monarchy have the 939 -meter high mountain Tille ( Dyleň ) near the Bohemian town of Eger ( Cheb) in the Czech Republic calculated as the geographical center of Europe. They documented this time on a copper plate, which they could affix them to the summit. The nearby German town Neualbenreuth uses this reality today for their tourism promotion.
There also were other villages, which awarded this property, were editors of the program " Bavaria, where 's hardly anyone knows " of the Bavarian Radio the center of Central Europe re-measured years ago. The Department of Geography, University of Munich, which carried out the order, came to the conclusion that the center further south, and is indeed to be found in Hildweinsreuth at Flossenbiirg in Germany in the Northern Upper Palatinate.
A site near Rakhov in Ukraine with the coordinates 47 ° 57 '46 "N, 24 ° 11' 14" O47.96290833333324.187333333333 in 1887, when the region was part of the Habsburg Monarchy, calculated as the geographical center of Europe. Because of the construction of the railway line Rakhov - Sighetu Marmaţiei (Hungarian: Máramarossziget ) were then carried out survey work. In the course of this work found the engineers to have calibrated the geographical center of Europe. After a thorough review of Viennese scientists confirmed this hypothesis. 1887 2 m high geodetic monument was built of concrete, which is preserved in its original today. The point is marked with a plaque with a Latin inscription:
The place is used for tourism.
Other candidates for the center of Europe are the places Kremnicke Bane or Krahule at Kremnica in central Slovakia, in the hills Volyně Čečelovice and a monument north-east of České Budějovice in the Czech Republic.
Current calculations
Geographers of the Institut Géographique National, the National Institute of Geography of France, calculated in 1989 the geographical center of Europe as a centroid and found a spot in the village Purnuškės just north of Vilnius in Lithuania with the coordinates 54 ° 54 '0 "N, 25 ° 19 ' 0" O54 .925.316666666667.
Geographic center of the European Union
Historic centers of the European Union
Between 1995 and 2004, the center of the European Union was near the Belgian town of Viroinval (50 ° 0 ' 33 "N, 4 ° 39' 59" O50.0091666666674.6663888888889 ).
With the EU enlargement on 1 May 2004 Kleinmaischeid was near Neuwied with the coordinates 50 ° 31 ' 31 " N, 7 ° 35' 50 " O50.5252777777787.5972222222222 until 31 December 2006 as the geographical center of the European Union. On October 10, 2004, a monument was inaugurated on this occasion, showing a circle. Originally, the Institute had identified for Theoretical Geodesy in Bonn incorrectly states that the center of the European Union after its enlargement in 2004 at the coordinates 50 ° 51 '10 " N, 8 ° 46' 43 " O50.8527777777788.7786111111111 would. This point was at the Kaschubenweg in Coelbe and was marked by a metal plate.
The center of the European Union was between the sixth EU enlargement in 2007 and the accession of Croatia in the Hessian town of Gelnhausen, in the sea timber district. The Institute Géographique National had the exact coordinates 50 ° 10 ' 21 " N, 9 ° 9' 0" calculated O50.17259.15. A three- ton sculpture made of red sandstone marks the former geographical center of the European Union. Seven artists from the region have jointly designed the object. The heart of the sculpture on a cornfield on the edge of the sea timber is a hollow body made of red sandstone. There were gradually filled by sand and soil from the 27 Member States of the EU. For one-hour opening ceremony with 300 guests, the Hessian Minister for Europe, Volker Hoff ( CDU) brought with earth from the Member State Hungary. A brass lid engraved with a dove of peace closes the sculpture. 26 carved into the stone lines show the visitors in which directions are the other EU countries. On a metal hoop, which is secured on the side of stone, the country code of the EU Member States are to read.
Current geographical center of the European Union
Since EU accession of Croatia on 1 July 2013 is the EU's geographical center in the district of Aschaffenburg, in the Bavarian village of Western reason ( district Oberwestern, Lage50.1172869.247768 ). This applies only if the areas are not included in the outermost regions, which enable the midpoint in the Atlantic.