German Empire Topographic Maps at 1:25,000 Scale, 1875-1931

Prussian State Recording produced these topographic map sheets at a scale of 1:25,000, with the primary survey work occurring between 1875 and 1912. The Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie provides the maps, which were updated with new photographs completed by 1931. They feature contour lines and a normal-zero reference, forming the largest-scale topographic map series for the area of the Reich Office for Land Recording.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land cover changes based on the detailed topographic representation.
• Study the evolution of cartographic techniques based on the transition from single-coloured to multi-coloured prints.
• Georeference historical features based on the precise 1:25,000 scale and contour line representation.

Strengths

• Provides a detailed historical snapshot from a defined period (1875-1912 primary survey).
• Represents the largest-scale topographic map series for the area at the time (1931).
• Includes contour lines and a normal-zero reference for elevation data.

Limitations

• Last updated 1919-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the historical survey methods.

Provenance

Source

Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie

Collection Method

Topographic survey and cartographic production by the Prussian State Recording.

Time Range

1875-1931

Geography

German Empire (specifically area of the Reich Office for Land Recording), Wredenhagen region (sheet 2741).