270 hand-drawn, multi-color topographical map sheets of Prussian territory east of the Weser river, created between 1767 and 1787. The work was led by Prussian officer and cartographer Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Graf von Schmettau, produced on his own initiative with support from Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm II. The original unique pieces are held by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Use Cases
- Analyze historical land use and settlement patterns based on the detailed topographical features.
- Study the evolution of cartographic techniques and accuracy based on the hand-drawn, large-scale map sheets.
- Conduct historical geographic information systems (HGIS) research based on the georeferenced map content.
- Research the political and administrative history of Prussia based on the territorial boundaries depicted.
Strengths
- Contains 270 individual map sheets providing extensive spatial coverage.
- Created at a detailed scale of 1:50,000, offering high-resolution historical topography.
- Sheets are large-format multi-color prints measuring 97 cm x 64 cm, allowing for detailed inspection.
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 and temporal bias inherent to the 18th-century Prussian military perspective.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Hand-drawn cartographic survey.
- Time Range
- 1767 to 1787
- Geography
- Prussian territory east of the Weser river.