Prussian Urmesstischblätter 1:25,000 are hand-drawn, single-copy topographic maps produced starting in 1822 for the entire territory of Prussia. They were created by the Royal Prussian General Staff and served as the foundational basis for smaller-scale maps, marking the beginning of modern topographic cartography. The dataset from the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie includes individual map sheets available as plano prints, with some reworked in color to be more similar to the original.
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 standardized content and design rules.
- Georeference historical features for comparison with modern maps based on the precise 1:25,000 scale.
- Create digital reproductions or visualizations of historical landscapes based on the high-quality plot availability.
Strengths
- Maps are hand-drawn originals at a precise 1:25,000 scale.
- Production began in 1822, providing a long historical baseline.
- Some sheets have been reworked in color to be more similar to the original.
Limitations
- Last updated 1844-01-01 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 by the Royal Prussian General Staff based on 1821 instructions.
- Time Range
- Production began in 1822.
- Geography
- Entire territory of Prussia, specific sheet for Frankfurt (Oder).