9 th ▁century ▁the ▁Dutch ▁adopted ▁a ▁un ified ▁metric ▁system , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁modified ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁metric ▁system , ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁system ▁used ▁today . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁this ▁was ▁real igned ▁with ▁the ▁international ▁metric ▁system . ▁These ▁old ▁units ▁of ▁measurement ▁have ▁disappeared , ▁but ▁they ▁remain ▁a ▁colour ful ▁legacy ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ' ▁mar itime ▁and ▁commercial ▁importance ▁and ▁surv ive ▁today ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Dutch ▁say ings ▁and ▁expressions . ▁ ▁Historical ▁units ▁of ▁measure ▁When ▁Char lemagne ▁was ▁crown ed ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁in ▁ 8 0 0 ▁AD , ▁his ▁emp ire ▁included ▁most ▁of ▁modern - day ▁Western ▁Europe ▁including ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁and ▁Belg ium . ▁ ▁Char lemagne ▁introduced ▁a ▁standard ▁system ▁of ▁measurement ▁across ▁his ▁domains ▁using ▁names ▁such ▁as ▁" p ound " ▁and ▁" foot ". ▁At ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Verd un , ▁the ▁emp ire ▁was ▁divided ▁between ▁Char lemagne ' s ▁three ▁grands ons ▁and ▁L oth air ▁received ▁the ▁central ▁portion , ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁to ▁Burg und y ▁and ▁Prov ence ▁in ▁the ▁south . ▁ ▁Further ▁fragment ation ▁followed ▁and ▁with ▁it ▁various ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁modified ▁the ▁units ▁of ▁measures ▁in ▁a ▁manner ▁that ▁su ited ▁the ▁local ▁lord . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁religious ▁wars , ▁the ▁territ ories ▁that ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁still ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire