Suurhusen Church

The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen, or Schiefer Turm von Suurhusen in German, is a late medieval steeple in Suurhusen, East Frisia, Germany. It was once 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. It lost the record in 2010 with the completion of the Capital Gate skyscraper in Abu Dhabi.

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.