Suurhusen Church

The Suurhusen church tower in Germany leans over farther than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa

Category Architectural Oddities

Architectural Oddities http://atlasobscura.com/category/architectural-oddities

The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen (German: Schiefer Turm von Suurhusen) is a late medieval steeple in Suurhusen, East Frisia, Germany. According to the The Guinness Book of World Records, it is the most tilted tower in the world, leaning out of plumb at an angle of 5.19 degrees, thus beating the previous record-holder, the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, by 1.22 degrees.

According to local historian Tjabbo van Lessen, the church was built in the Middle Ages in marshy land on foundations of oak tree trunks which were preserved by the water in the ground. 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, but re-opened 10 years later after being re-enforced.

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  • Address Suurhusen, Germany
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