Prussian Urmesstischblätter: Historical Topographic Maps of Prussia
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Description
Prussian Urmesstischblätter are hand-drawn, one-off topographic maps produced for the entire territory of Prussia beginning in 1822. The maps were created at a scale of 1:25,000 and were not published, serving as the basis for smaller-scale maps. The dataset is provided by the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie.
Use Cases
Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the detailed topographic features.
Study the evolution of cartographic design and symbology based on the hand-drawn map content.
Georeference and compare historical landscapes with modern maps based on the precise 1:25,000 scale.
Train image segmentation models on historical map features like forests, water bodies, and settlements.
Strengths
Maps mark the beginning of topographic cartography, providing foundational historical data.
Individual sheets have been reworked in color to be more similar to the original hand-drawn versions.
The production process was standardized by the Royal Prussian General Staff's 1821 instruction.
Limitations
Last updated 1841-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
The specific file formats and availability of digital versions are unknown.
Provenance
Source
Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
Collection Method
Hand-drawn, one-off map sheets produced for internal military and administrative use.
Time Range
Production began in 1822. Individual sheet dated 1841.
Geography
Territory of Prussia
License is unknown; terms of use should be verified with the source organization.