Prussian territory east of the Weser is depicted in this collection of 270 hand-drawn, unpublished topographical map sheets at a scale of 1:50,000. The work was created between 1767 and 1787 under the direction of Prussian officer and cartographer Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Graf von Schmettau. 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- Study the evolution of cartographic techniques and military surveying based on the hand-drawn, unpublished nature of the sheets.
- Georeference historical maps for comparison with modern geographical data based on the precise scale and coverage.
- Research the political and administrative history of Brandenburg-Prussia based on the territorial depiction created against the concerns of Frederick II.
Strengths
- Contains 270 individual map sheets providing extensive coverage.
- Created at a precise scale of 1:50,000, offering detailed topographical information.
- Sheets are hand-drawn unique pieces, representing primary historical artifacts.
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 its 18th-century Prussian military origins.
Provenance
- Source
- Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
- Collection Method
- Hand-drawn topographical survey conducted by Prussian military cartographers.
- Time Range
- 1767 to 1787
- Geography
- Prussian territory east of the Weser river, specifically Brandenburg (Section 77: Potsdam)