Prussian Urmess Table Sheets are hand-drawn, unique map sheets produced starting in 1822 for the entire territory of Prussia. The Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie provides these maps, which were created at a scale of 1:25,000 and mark the beginning of modern topographic cartography. They were not published but served as the basis for smaller-scale maps.
Use Cases
- Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the hand-drawn topographic features.
- Study the evolution of cartographic techniques based on the foundational map design.
- Georeference historical landscape features based on the detailed 1:25,000 scale maps.
- Compare original hand-drawn maps with later reprints based on the described color scheme variations.
Strengths
- Maps were produced at a detailed scale of 1:25,000.
- Production began in 1822, providing a long historical baseline.
- Individual sheets have been reworked to more closely resemble the original color scheme.
Limitations
- Last updated 1825-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Hand-drawn cartographic production based on 1821 instructions from the Royal Prussian General Staff.
- Time Range
- Production began in 1822.
- Geography
- Entire territory of Prussia.