The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen (german: Schiefer Turm von Suurhusen) is a

late medieval The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religi ...

Suurhusen Suurhusen is a village north of Emden in the German region of East Frisia. It has about 1,100 inhabitants and is administered by the municipality of Hinte. The steeple of the Suurhusen church, inclined at an angle of 5.19 degrees, is the most lea ...

, a village in the

East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...

n region of northwestern

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. According to the

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

it was at one time the most tilted tower in the world, although intentionally inclined towers such as the

Montreal Tower up Montreal Tower ( French: ''La Tour de Montréal''), part of the city's Olympic Stadium (French: ''Le Stade olympique'') and Parc Olympique and formerly known as the Olympic Tower (French: ''La Tour olympique''), is the tallest inclined structu ...

far surpass it. The Suurhusen steeple claimed to be the unintentionally tilted tower with the greatest angle of lean in the world, 1.22° more than

Leaning Tower of Pisa The Leaning Tower of Pisa ( it, torre pendente di Pisa), or simply, the Tower of Pisa (''torre di Pisa'' ), is the ''bell tower, campanile'', or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result ...

History

The

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...

church in Suurhusen is reminiscent of the old

fortress church A fortress church (german: Kirchenburg) is a particular type of church that, in addition to its religious functions is also used by the local population as a retreat and defensive position, similar to a refuge castle. A fortress church usually imp ...

es. Originally, it was long and wide. In 1450 the church was shortened by about a quarter and the tower was built in the space. This tower currently leans at an angle of 5.19° (5° 11′), compared with 3.97° (3° 58′) for the Pisa tower after its stabilization. According to local historian Tjabbo van Lessen, the church was built in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

in marshy land on foundations of oak tree trunks which were preserved by groundwater. When the land was drained in the 19th century, the wood rotted, causing the tower to tilt. The steeple was closed to the public in 1975 for safety reasons, and re-opened 10 years later after it was stabilized. (However, The Leaning Tower of

Gau-Weinheim Gau-Weinheim is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The winegrowing centre lies in ...

was leaning at 5.4277° on 15 July 2022.)

Data

* Area: , * Height: * Overhang: * Foundation: masonry, resting on oak piles * Total weight:

Gallery

File:Suurhusen Church, East Frisia, Germany. Pic 05.jpg, File:Suurhusen Church, East Frisia, Germany. Pic 02.jpg, File:Suurhusen Church, East Frisia, Germany. Pic 03.jpg, File:Church of Suurhusen.jpg, File:Suurhusen Church, East Frisia, Germany. Pic 04.jpg File:Suurhusen Church, East Frisia, Germany. Pic 01.jpg,

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Schiefer Turm von Suurhusen, Leaning Tower of Suurhusen
Homepage of the church
Brick buildings and structures Buildings and structures in Aurich (district)

Buildings and structures completed in 1450 Towers completed in the 15th century

History

Data

Gallery

See also

References

External links