Hand-drawn Prussian Urmesstischblätter from 1822 mark the beginning of modern topographic cartography. The 1:25,000 scale sheets were one-off productions intended as the basis for smaller-scale maps, produced by the Royal Prussian General Staff. These original measuring table sheets are available as plano prints, with some reworked in color to be more similar to the original hand-drawn state.
Use Cases
- Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the hand-drawn topographic features.
- Study the evolution of cartographic design and symbology based on the 1821 design instructions.
- Georeference historical maps for comparison with modern datasets based on the precise 1:25,000 scale.
Strengths
- Sheets were produced at a precise 1:25,000 scale, providing detailed topographic information.
- The collection represents the foundational origin of modern topographic cartography, as stated in the description.
- Some individual sheets have been reworked in color to more closely match the original hand-drawn appearance.
Limitations
- Last updated 1843-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Hand-drawn one-off productions by the Royal Prussian General Staff, based on 1821 instructions.
- Time Range
- Production began in 1822.
- Geography
- Entire territory of Prussia.