Prussian Urmesstischblätter: Hand-Drawn Topographic Maps at 1:25,000 Scale

The production of the Prussian Urmesstischblätter began in 1822 for the entire territory of Prussia. These hand-drawn, one-off map sheets were created at a scale of 1:25,000 and served as the foundational basis for smaller-scale maps. The original sheets mark the beginning of topographic cartography and were produced by the Royal Prussian General Staff, with the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie listed as the organization.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the hand-drawn topographic features.
• Study the evolution of cartographic design and standards based on the 1821 instructions for content and design.
• Georeference and compare historical landscape features with modern maps based on the 1:25,000 scale.
• Research the foundational techniques of topographic cartography based on the description of these sheets as the origin point.

Strengths

• Sheets were produced at a detailed 1:25,000 scale, which likely captures fine topographic features.
• The dataset represents the foundational origin of topographic cartography, as stated in the description.
• Some individual sheets have been reworked in color to be more similar to the original, suggesting quality preservation efforts.

Limitations

• Last updated 1841-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and availability of specific sheets require manual inspection.
• Row count and specific file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie

Collection Method

Hand-drawn, one-off map sheets produced by the Royal Prussian General Staff.

Time Range

Production began in 1822. Specific temporal coverage for this sheet is unknown.

Freshness

1841-01-01 00:00:00

Geography

Covers the territory of Prussia, specifically the Luckenwalde area (sheet 3945).