At the close of the 19th century, a variety of horsepower standards based on local standards of length and weight existed in German-speaking areas¹, but all had values near that of the metric horsepower, 75 meter kilograms-force per second:
| Country | horsepower in local units | in meter kilograms-force per second |
|---|---|---|
| Saxony | 530 Fuss Pfund per second | 75.045 |
| Wurtemberg | 525 Fuss Pfund per second | 75.240 |
| Prussia | 480 Fuss Pfund per second | 75.325 |
| Hanover | 516 Fuss Pfund per second | 75.361 |
| Austria | 430 Fuss Pfund per second | 76.119 |
In the 20th century, the unit was equivalent to the metric horsepower, 735.498 75 watts.
In 1971, the European Economic Community directed that use of this unit cease by 31 December 1977.²
1. Anonymous.
Steam, Its Generation and Use. 34th edition.
New York: Babcock & Wilcox, 1911.
page 61.
2. European Economic Community, Council Directive of 18 October 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to units of measurement (Directive 71/354/EEC), Annex, Chapter III.
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