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2 years ago in Archival Science By Pavitra

Are there specific archival records from 1659 that explicitly define the length of the Spann measurement in the Habsburg lands?

My critical edition requires citing a definitive primary source for the Spann's length. I'm looking for an ordinance, a legal code, or a published metrological table from 1659 itself that states "1 Spann = X." I've checked the Münz- und Maßordnung compilations, but they're often undated or aggregated. Does a known, datable decree from that exact year survive in the Vienna or regional archives that specifies this unit?

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By Kriya Answered 1 year ago

Finding a standalone, datable 1659 document exclusively defining the Spann is highly unlikely. These units were typically defined relationally within broader ordinances. I recommend searching the Habsburg patent series for that year for any decree related to market supervision, construction, or land surveying. A more fruitful approach is to consult a contemporary metrological handbook, like those by mathematicians or engineers in service to the court, which would state the accepted ratios. For a definitive citation, I've often used later 18th-century standardization decrees that reference and codify earlier, customary lengths, providing a legally accepted retroactive definition. Your footnote may need to reflect this chain of derivation rather than a single 1659 source.

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