The Prussian Urmesstischblätter are hand-drawn topographic maps produced for the entire territory of Prussia beginning in 1822. They were created as one-offs on a scale of 1:25,000 to serve as the basis for smaller-scale maps and mark the beginning of modern topographic cartography. The dataset is provided by the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie.
Use Cases
- Analyze historical land features based on the hand-drawn topographic details.
- Study the evolution of cartographic design based on the specified content and design rules.
- Compare historical and modern topography based on the foundational map sheets.
Strengths
- Maps are hand-drawn originals, providing a unique historical artifact.
- Production began in 1822, offering a long historical baseline.
- Some sheets have been reworked in color, making them more similar to the original.
Limitations
- Last updated metadata is from 1843; freshness should be verified.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Hand-drawn map production based on instructions from the Royal Prussian General Staff.
- Time Range
- Production began in 1822.
- Geography
- Entire territory of Prussia.