Zer
In historical shipbuilding in the early modern period, a detailed, written draft according to which a certain ship was built was referred to as a Zerter (in various spellings: Särter , Certer or Zärter ) or cutlery .
The Zerter is part of the contract documents when the order is placed with the shipyard. In it, essential points of the future ship are recorded in writing. Not only are individual components listed in terms of number, quality and dimensions, but also the necessary construction and contract details. That is why the Zerter has both a legal and a technical dimension. As part of the contract, they are less to be found in technical and craft estates, but rather in legal or notarial archives. It is not limited to shipbuilding and is still part of the contract documents as a technical description (e.g. house building). In addition to the construction costs and remuneration for certain work, it also regulates the most important ship dimensions and construction designs in order to ultimately obtain an overview of the total costs. For example, the length, width, draft , number of masts and number of cannons , but also the type and scope of the carving on the transom of the ship to be built could be recorded in it. But also individual assemblies, such as the use of a three-part keel or the plank dimensions , could be regulated in it.
A contemporary described the Zerter as follows:
"Zerter: The individual wooden parts of the ship are connected on the stack (sd). This happens after the sarter or zeros. This is the name given to the model and the written draft according to which the construction is carried out. In every nation the sarter has its peculiarities. "
Due to their detailed description of components and construction elements, Zerter are important sources for the history of technology and add a different perspective to wreck finds and contemporary treatises in the early days of technical documentation (technical drawings, three-dimensional models).
literature
- Nicolaas Witsen : Aeloude en Hedendaegsche Scheeps-bouw en Bestier . Amsterdam 1671.
- From J. Hoving: Nicolaes Witsens Scheeps-bouw-konst open . Franeker 1994, ISBN 90-5194-109-9 .
- Georg Dietrich von der Groeben : Explanations on understanding shipping and naval warfare according to alphabetical order . Year of publication 1774, Breßlau. Reprint of the original edition: Neufahrn / Percha 1984, ISBN 3-88706-235-3
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Remarks
- ↑ to von der Groeben
- ↑ after Grobecker
- ↑ bataviawerf.nl cutlery from a warship from 1666, after which the De Zeven Provinciën is being built at the Batavia shipyard (Dutch)