Tõrus

Tõrus refers to a type of Estonian unit of measurement, primarily used for land area. It is one of several historical units that were used to quantify the size and boundaries of landholdings in Estonia during the medieval period. The size of a tõrus varied throughout history, but generally, it was equivalent to an area of about 0.9 to 1.1 hectares.

Tõrus was widely used in the administrative and land registration systems of the Hanseatic and Livonian Confederations, the preceding to the present-day Estonia. The specific application and calculation of tõrus may have varied depending on geographical location, time period, and even the type of land ownership. Notably, its use declined as the Estonian land surveying system shifted towards the metric system during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The definition and usage of tõrus were often linked to the system of land division in the Hansa trade territorial areas. Estates and farms were typically classified and valued by their sizes and types measured in tõrus. This historical system was mentioned in various sources, including 15th-century wills, notarial deeds, and archive materials.

Archaeological and historical research, specifically place-name studies, land surveys, and historical documentation, provide insights about tõrus. Scholarly articles, ph.D. studies, and academic books in Estonian and elsewhere, offer a deep understanding of this historical measurement unit. Tõrus exemplifies a part of the cultural, administrative, and economic heritage shared by Baltic countries, contributing to an appreciation of the history and physical framework of Estonian territories and the surrounding regions.