Schmettausches Kartenwerk is a hand-drawn, unpublished topographical map series of Prussian territory east of the Weser river, created between 1767 and 1787 under the direction of Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Graf von Schmettau. The work comprises 270 unique sections at a scale of 1:50,000, with originals held by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. The available digital copies are multi-color prints measuring 97 cm x 64 cm.
Use Cases
- Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the detailed topographical features.
- Study the evolution of cartographic techniques based on the hand-drawn, multi-color map sections.
- Georeference historical boundaries and features based on the 1:50,000 scale map work.
- Research Prussian military and administrative geography based on the territory covered east of the Weser river.
Strengths
- 270 individual map sections provide detailed spatial coverage.
- Created at a consistent 1:50,000 scale, allowing for comparative analysis.
- Based on primary sources, described as the culmination of Prussian cartography of its time.
Limitations
- Last updated 1787-12-29 23:53:28; freshness should be verified.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- The dataset's row count and specific file formats are unknown.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Hand-drawn topographical survey.
- Time Range
- 1767 to 1787
- Freshness
- 1787-12-29 23:53:28
- Geography
- Prussian territory east of the Weser river, specifically the Brandenburg-Sektion 27, Strasburg area.