A 15th century church steeple in Germany has snatched the accolade of the most tilted tower in the world from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed on Thursday.
The 27-metre-high (86-feet-high) steeple in the northern village of Suurhusen tilts at an angle of 5.19 degrees compared to just 3.97 degrees for the Pisa tower.
In a ceremony to mark Guinness World Records Day on Thursday, the book's editor-in-chief handed over a certificate to mark the accomplishment to church officials.
"We have always known it, but now it's official," said the pastor of the church, Frank Wessels.
According to local historian Tjabbo van Lessen, the church was built in marshy land in 1450 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 made safe.
Suurhusen is a village of 1,200 residents near Germany's border with the Netherlands.
Vocabulary:
Leaning Tower of Pisa:比萨斜塔（意大利比萨城大教堂的独立式钟楼，位于比萨大教堂的后面，是奇迹广场的三大建筑之一。 钟楼始建于1173年，设计为垂直建造，但是在工程开始后不久便由于地基不均匀和土层松软而倾斜，1372年完工，塔身倾斜向东南。 比萨斜塔是比萨城的标志，1987年它和相邻的大教堂、洗礼堂、墓园一起因其对11世纪至14世纪意大利建筑艺术的巨大影响，而被联合国教育科学文化组织评选为世界遗产。据介绍，目前“世界最斜塔”无论在设计还是在精美度上都无法与比萨斜塔相媲美。）
marshy land:烂泥地
