In 1355, Emperor Charles IV granted Monzingen its town charter and market rights. Ever since, markets of any kind have been permitted here.

The Monzingen cubit served as a uniform measure for market suppliers and customers. With a length of 69.89 cm, it was almost identical to the Prussian cubit (66.69 cm), which was introduced in Prussia as a compulsory measure in 1816. Initially, this measure was mounted to the Town Hall. After the late medieval Town Hall building burnt down in 1860, the Town Hall stone to which it was mounted was inserted here in the St. Martin’s church wall.

When the church entrance was moved in 1957, the soil in the north-eastern part of the church was removed giving the cubit the height it has today.