By Kim O’Hare The leaning tower of Pisa has lost its distinction
as the world’s most leaning building. A crooked church in the
German village of Suurhusen has been awarded the dubious
distinction by the good folks at Guinness. The church leans at
5.19 degrees, compared with the 3.97 skew at Pisa. The Italian
landmark ower recently underwent a multi-million dollar
restoration to avoid collapse. At a modest ceremony, the German
representative of Guinness told villagers: “Your church tower
may not be quite as famous as the one in Pisa, but your tower is
definitely the most tilted in the world.” The church in northern
Germany was built in middle of the 13th century but a 90ft tower
was added in 1450. The simple design is not particularly
attractive. The church belongs to the local Protestant
congregation. It was built on a wooden foundation, which seems
to be shrinking due to the effects of drying out over the many
years. Since the early 1980s, villagers have been successful in
carrying out interventions within t