Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Cash Surrender Value of Life Insurance		$ 3,400,000	$ 3,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan Amendment Change in Postretirement Benefit Plan Obligation		(2,500,000)	2,600,000
Recognized (gains) losses due to plan curtailments		(310,000)	0	270,000
Fair value of plan assets		30,190,000	26,090,000
Individual agreement for annual retirement payments		100,000
Life insurance policy beneficiary amount		2,000,000
Long-term liabilities		(92,581,000)	(84,673,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Rate of Compensation Increase		2.20%	2.50%	2.40%
Return on pension plan assets	5.10%	6.40%	5.80%	7.00%
Rate of compensation increase	2.20%	2.50%	2.40%	2.50%
Projected health care cost trend rate		8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Ultimate health care rate		5.00%	5.00%	5.00%
Year ultimate health care trend rate is achieved		2019	2019	2016
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Service and Interest Cost Components		62,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Service and Interest Cost Components		(55,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Increase on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation		1,428,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Effect of One Percentage Point Decrease on Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation		(1,231,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations		100.00%	100.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		100.00%	100.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized		3,400,000	2,800,000	1,900,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		18,177,000	16,421,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		12,013,000	9,669,000	8,378,000
Actual return on assets		3,007,000	(880,000)
Translation adjustment		(1,406,000)	1,169,000
Purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements, net		743,000	1,002,000
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		8,217,000	9,650,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations		27.00%	37.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		22.00%	45.00%
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		8,217,000	9,650,000
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		6,388,000	4,673,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations		21.00%	18.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		13.00%	15.00%
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		6,388,000	4,673,000
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Insurance Contract, Rights and Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		11,946,000	9,536,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations		40.00%	37.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		43.00%	35.00%
Insurance Contract, Rights and Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Insurance Contract, Rights and Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Insurance Contract, Rights and Obligations [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		11,946,000	9,536,000
Cash [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		3,572,000	2,098,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations		12.00%	8.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		22.00%	5.00%
Cash [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		3,572,000	2,098,000
Cash [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Cash [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Other Pension Plan Asset [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		67,000	133,000
Other Pension Plan Asset [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Other Pension Plan Asset [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Other Pension Plan Asset [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		67,000	133,000
German Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Underfunded		76,700,000
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Discount Rate		3.80%	4.90%	4.00%
Accumulated benefit obligation		113,055,000	101,659,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Gains (Losses)		1,418,000
Benefit obligation at beginning of year		(124,948,000)	(113,204,000)	(112,517,000)
Service cost		(2,759,000)	(3,521,000)	(2,159,000)
Interest cost		(5,099,000)	(4,820,000)	(4,505,000)
Participant contributions		(253,000)	(270,000)
Actuarial gain (loss)		(18,921,000)	16,900,000
Benefits paid		3,354,000	4,028,000
Settlement gain (loss)		0	(28,000)
Business combinations		(710,000)	0
Curtailment gain (loss)		310,000	(18,000)
Contractual termination benefits		79,000	0	0
Recognized (gains) losses due to plan curtailments		(310,000)	22,000	267,000
Plan amendments		0	(7,000)
Translation adjustment		12,413,000	(12,951,000)
Fair value of plan assets		30,190,000	26,090,000	22,259,000
Actual return on assets		4,518,000	810,000
Employer contributions	4,700,000	4,619,000	4,607,000
Participant contributions		253,000	270,000
Translation adjustment		(1,936,000)	2,172,000
Underfunded		94,758,000	87,114,000
Accrued payroll, taxes and related benefits		(2,177,000)	(2,441,000)
Long-term liabilities		(92,581,000)	(84,673,000)
Net amount recognized		(94,758,000)	(87,114,000)
Net actuarial (gain) loss		30,134,000	16,739,000
Net prior service cost (credit)		355,000	403,000
Net amount recognized in AOCI		30,489,000	17,142,000
Net actuarial (gain) loss		15,394,000	(16,445,000)
Prior service cost (credit)		0	7,000
Amortization of net actuarial loss		(468,000)	(1,658,000)
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit		(48,000)	(29,000)
Settlement/curtailment gain (loss)		310,000	2,000
Translation adjustment		(1,841,000)	2,927,000
Total change in AOCI		13,347,000	(15,196,000)
Expected return on plan assets		(1,298,000)	(1,219,000)	(984,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		48,000	29,000	48,000
Recognized gains due to plan settlements		0	(24,000)	(28,000)
Recognized net actuarial loss		468,000	1,658,000	338,000
Total net periodic benefit cost		6,845,000	8,807,000	6,305,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Prior Service Cost (Credit)		28,000
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Amounts that Will be Amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) in Next Fiscal Year		1,446,000
Projected benefit obligation		124,887,000	112,902,000
Accumulated benefit obligation		113,011,000	101,432,000
Fair value of plan assets		30,125,000	25,596,000
Projected benefit obligation		61,000	302,000
Accumulated benefit obligation		44,000	227,000
Fair value of plan assets		65,000	494,000
Discount rate on pension plans	3.80%	4.90%	4.00%	5.40%
2013		3,366,000
2014		3,625,000
2015		4,187,000
2016		5,005,000
2017		4,572,000
Years 2018 — 2022		24,783,000
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Benefit Obligation, Discount Rate		3.50%	4.50%	4.50%
Accumulated benefit obligation		13,556,000	13,929,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Gains (Losses)		0
Benefit obligation at beginning of year		(13,556,000)	(13,929,000)	(17,054,000)
Service cost		(28,000)	(30,000)	(30,000)
Interest cost		(607,000)	(746,000)	(765,000)
Participant contributions		(91,000)	(32,000)
Actuarial gain (loss)		2,819,000	480,000
Benefits paid		768,000	872,000
Settlement gain (loss)		0	0
Business combinations		0	0
Curtailment gain (loss)		0	0
Contractual termination benefits		0	0	0
Recognized (gains) losses due to plan curtailments		0	0	0
Plan amendments		(2,488,000)	2,581,000
Translation adjustment		0	0
Fair value of plan assets		0	0	0
Actual return on assets		0	0
Employer contributions	800,000	677,000	840,000
Participant contributions		91,000	32,000
Translation adjustment		0	0
Underfunded		13,556,000	13,929,000
Accrued payroll, taxes and related benefits		(780,000)	(880,000)
Long-term liabilities		(12,776,000)	(13,049,000)
Net amount recognized		(13,556,000)	(13,929,000)
Net actuarial (gain) loss		602,000	3,592,000
Net prior service cost (credit)		(3,006,000)	(6,225,000)
Net amount recognized in AOCI		(2,404,000)	(2,633,000)
Net actuarial (gain) loss		(2,819,000)	(480,000)
Prior service cost (credit)		2,488,000	(2,581,000)
Amortization of net actuarial loss		(171,000)	(198,000)
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit		731,000	542,000
Settlement/curtailment gain (loss)		0	0
Translation adjustment		0	0
Total change in AOCI		229,000	(2,717,000)
Expected return on plan assets		0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		(731,000)	(542,000)	(557,000)
Recognized gains due to plan settlements		0	0	0
Recognized net actuarial loss		171,000	198,000	0
Total net periodic benefit cost		75,000	432,000	238,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amortization of Net Prior Service Cost (Credit)		(537,000)
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Amounts that Will be Amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) in Next Fiscal Year		(537,000)
Projected benefit obligation		13,556,000	13,929,000
Accumulated benefit obligation		13,556,000	13,929,000
Fair value of plan assets		0	0
Discount rate on pension plans	3.50%	4.50%	4.50%	5.50%
2013		791,000
2014		815,000
2015		836,000
2016		852,000
2017		840,000
Years 2018 — 2022		4,257,000
United Kingdom Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Underfunded		$ 7,600,000