1822 marks the start of production for the Prussian Urmesstischblätter, hand-drawn topographic maps at a scale of 1:25,000. The maps, created by the Royal Prussian General Staff, were foundational for smaller-scale cartography and mark the beginning of modern topographic mapping. The Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie provides these maps, which are available as plano prints, with some sheets reworked to resemble the original color scheme.
Use Cases
- Historical landscape analysis based on hand-drawn topographic features
- Cartographic evolution studies based on foundational map design principles
- Georeferencing and digitization projects based on high-quality plot reproductions
Strengths
- Maps were produced starting in 1822, providing a long historical baseline
- Created at a detailed 1:25,000 scale by the Royal Prussian General Staff
- Some individual sheets have been reworked to be more similar to the original color scheme
Limitations
- Last updated metadata is from 1847-01-01; 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 cartographic surveys conducted by the Royal Prussian General Staff.
- Time Range
- Production began in 1822.
- Geography
- Entire territory of Prussia.