Measuring table sheets are large-scale topographic maps of the German Empire produced between 1875 and 1931. The Prussian state began the survey in 1875, with the work essentially completed by 1912 and updated photographs finished by 1931. These plano maps, primarily monochrome, were created by the Reichsamt für Landesaufnahme to meet civilian needs and feature contour lines referenced to normal zero.
Use Cases
- Analyzing historical land use changes based on topographic features.
- Training geospatial models for historical map feature recognition based on contour lines and symbols.
- Conducting historical geography research based on the detailed, large-scale map coverage.
- Digitizing and comparing historical administrative boundaries based on map sheet extents.
Strengths
- Covers a significant historical period from 1875 to 1931.
- Provides large-scale topographic detail at 1:25,000.
- Includes contour line representation referenced to a standard datum (normal zero).
Limitations
- Last updated 1936-01-01 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 source and era.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Topographic survey and cartographic production by the Prussian state and later Reichsamt für Landesaufnahme.
- Time Range
- 1875 to 1931
- Geography
- German Empire