Prussian Urmesstischblätter: Hand-Drawn Topographic Maps from 1822

The Prussian Urmesstischblätter production began in 1822 for the entire territory of Prussia. These one-off maps were hand-drawn at a scale of 1:25,000 and served as the foundational basis for smaller-scale maps. The Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie provides these sheets, which mark the beginning of modern topographic cartography.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the detailed hand-drawn cartography.
• Study the evolution of topographic survey techniques based on the foundational map series.
• Georeference historical features onto modern maps based on the precise 1:25,000 scale.

Strengths

• Maps were produced at a precise 1:25,000 scale, offering detailed ground representation.
• The series marks the documented beginning of systematic topographic cartography in Prussia.
• Individual sheets have been reworked in color to be more similar to the original hand-drawn versions.

Limitations

• Last updated 1826-12-31 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie

Collection Method

Hand-drawn cartographic surveys conducted by the Royal Prussian General Staff.

Time Range

Production began in 1822; specific sheet dated to 1826.

Geography

Covers the territory of Prussia, specifically the area around Fürstenwerder.