Prussian Urmess Table Sheets: Hand-Drawn Topographic Maps from 1868
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Description
From 1822 onward, the Royal Prussian General Staff produced unique, hand-drawn topographic maps at a scale of 1:25,000. These Urmesstischblatt sheets, created as a basis for smaller-scale maps, mark the beginning of modern topographic cartography. The Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie provides these maps, which are available as plano prints and high-quality plots.
Use Cases
Analyze historical land use and landscape changes based on the detailed 1:25,000 scale cartography.
Train image segmentation models for map feature extraction based on hand-drawn symbols and annotations.
Study the evolution of cartographic design and standards based on the 1821 Royal Prussian General Staff instructions.
Georeference historical map sheets for integration with modern geographic information systems.
Strengths
Sheets are hand-drawn unique pieces at a detailed 1:25,000 scale.
Individual sheets have been reworked to more closely match the original color scheme.
The collection represents the foundational work for modern topographic cartography.
Limitations
Last updated 1868-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
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; specific sheet dated 1868.
Geography
Territory of Prussia
License is unknown and should be verified before use.