Prussian Urmesstischblätter: Hand-Drawn Topographic Maps from 1822

Prussian Urmesstischblätter are hand-drawn, one-off topographic maps produced starting in 1822 for the entire territory of Prussia. The maps were created at a scale of 1:25,000 and served as the foundational basis for smaller-scale cartography. The dataset is provided by the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie and represents the origins of modern topographic mapping.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land use patterns based on the hand-drawn topographic features.
• Study the evolution of cartographic design based on the specified content and design standards from 1821.
• Georeference historical maps for comparison with modern digital elevation models based on the 1:25,000 scale.
• Research the administrative and military geography of 19th-century Prussia based on the detailed topographic coverage.

Strengths

• Maps are hand-drawn originals, marking the beginning of systematic topographic cartography.
• Production began in 1822, providing a specific historical starting point.
• Created at a detailed scale of 1:25,000 for the entire territory of Prussia.

Limitations

• Last updated 1839-01-01 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, one-off maps produced by the Royal Prussian General Staff.

Time Range

Production began in 1822.

Freshness

Data reflects historical maps from the 19th century, last updated field is 1839.

Geography

Entire territory of Prussia.