Stèle géodésique
Route de Hirtzfelden (D8), 68127 Oberhergheim
Both steles of Sausheim and Oberhergheim were raised(brought up) in August, 1804, under the reign of Napoleon Ier, by the team of the astronomer Maurice Henry (1763-1825) as part of the establishment of a card(map) of Switzerland under French domination. The purpose of operation was, a few kilometres away from the French-Swiss border, to measure the distance separating both steles (19,045 km). This distance, thought bases of Ensisheim (the name of the municipality of Ensisheim located about halfway between both steles), then served in triangulation. It is in time(period) the longest base(basis) so measured on the surface of the Earth.
Steles take the shape of obelisks or of pyramids established(constituted) by six blocks of pink sandstone of Vosges stacked(superimposed), for a height of 5 m (the set(group) being surmounted(overcome), in Sausheim, by two other blocks which carry its height to 7 m). They are surrounded by twelve arranged smaller borders in a circle. They both were listed(classified) in conformance with(for) historic monuments by order of December 5th, 1979\. The southern stele of Sausheim was restored in 1985\. wikipedia
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