Schmettausches Kartenwerk Brandenburg-Sektion 109, Finsterwalda

270 hand-drawn, unpublished map sheets created between 1767 and 1787 by Prussian officer Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Graf von Schmettau. The work represents the culmination of Prussian cartography for the territory east of the Weser river. Original multi-color prints are held by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz and measure 97 cm x 64 cm.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the detailed 1:50,000 scale topographical images.
• Study the evolution of cartographic techniques based on the hand-drawn, multi-color map sheets.
• Conduct comparative geography research based on the coverage of Prussian territory east of the Weser river.
• Digitize and georeference historical features for longitudinal landscape analysis based on the high-detail map content.

Strengths

• Covers 270 individual map sheets providing extensive spatial coverage.
• Created at a detailed 1:50,000 scale over a 20-year period (1767-1787).
• Original physical prints are large-format (97 cm x 64 cm), suggesting high detail.

Limitations

• Last updated 1787-12-31 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to 18th-century Prussian cartographic sources.

Provenance

Source

Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie

Collection Method

Hand-drawn topographical survey conducted by Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Graf von Schmettau and collaborators.

Time Range

1767 to 1787

Freshness

1787-12-31

Geography

Prussian territory east of the Weser river, specifically the Finsterwalda section (Sheet 109).