Measuring instrument and method for determining the spatial orientation of a body relative to two horizontal reference directions

The measurement unit comprises an inclinometer-based elevation-measuring unit that has at least three and preferably eight individual inclinometers. The inclinometers are positioned so that they react to rotation movements in different directions in space. In a first measurement step all the orientation measurement values are determined for a triad of inclinometers. In a second step the values are linked in processed or unprocessed format to form an overall measurement value of higher precision.