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Urban history from the foundation down to modern times -
presented in texts, maps and figures |
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| 130 Historic Towns Atlases from Germany |
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What is a Historic Towns Atlas?
Those who study more intensively the history of a city or a town - be it out
of scholarly or private interests - will need a reliable guide for his trip into the past: the
historic towns atlases published by the GSV Städteatlas Verlag, unique topological collections of
currently 120 German Towns and their development across the centuries. Every year, new towns are
being added.
The historic towns atlases are not a History of the town or city in the conventional sense. Instead, they may serve to write one, for they constitute a collection of source material in the academic sense: a rich repository of exceedingly fascinating maps and documents, which makes history tangible. Who will be interested in Historic Towns Atlases?
Every one who deals with urbanism in a closer or a wider context - and of course
every institution which has the task to provide access to knowledge for a private or academic audience.
Besides academic teaching, science and research the "classical" groups of users would also include:
Public institutions:
any good map collection in libraries, archives or museums must include compact, reliable treatments of urban history
Schools:
Working with the historic towns atlases as a collection of source material is an exciting opportunity
to present history in a tangible and vivid way at any stage in secondary education - an enrichment in
teaching with respect to both didactics and content.
Institutions of local government:
Historic Towns Atlases are indispensable works of reference for urban archaeologists and conservators
of monuments and historic buildings; yet even institutions in the fields of urban planning, surveying
and the land-registry office will be stimulated in their search for contemporary urbanistic concepts
by the basic information on urban history, infrastructure and historic buildings.
Citizens, residents and guests
will use Historic Towns Atlases to find a new, creative approach to the history of their town or city -
a collection of interesting information, which have not been available to the public so far.
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What does a Historic Towns Atlas contain?
1. Documentation of the urban landscape around 1800
In order to deal with urban history in a serious way exact maps are essential. Consequently,
each Historic Towns Atlas contains the earliest exact cadastral map reproduced true to the source: the record
of the first general survey during the Napoleonic period.At a scale of 1:2500, this map depicts the precise
urban plan down to plot level, before industrialisation and the emergence of "downtown" areas. Due to its value
as a source it must be counted among documentary evidence. In order to facilitate the direct, diachronical comparison,
a contemporary map at the scale of 1:5000 is added to the documentation of the urban plan in the Historic Towns Atlas.
Both maps have been carefully cartographed anew with state-of-the-art printing technology. Additional maps, plans and illustrations, among them a map of surrounding area at a scale of 1:25000 as a reprint of the map from the earliest
topographical survey complete the insights into the situation of the town around 1800.
2. Interpretation of urban history from the foundation to the present day
Accomplished practitioners of urban and regional history have charted the phases of growth from the
earliest settlements through the foundation of the town down to modern times in a special map. This presentation is
supplemented by a highly interesting commentary. The combination of text, maps, and illustrations is particularly
enlightening. Any given information is documented and verifiable in the annotations. Commentary, illustrations and
maps are presented within a durable cardboard folder measuring 35 x 51 cm. This enables an intuitive approach and
spontaneous comparison of the individual elements.
3. Urban history presented in scholarly commentaries:
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An exemplary presentation of the contents of a Historic Towns Atlas - the town folder for Weimar:
Documentation of the urban landscape around 1800:
Views of the town:
Town seals:
Map of the surrounding area:
The first topographical map (drawn between 1800 and 1850 to the scale of 1:25000) gives an overview of the town and its immediate surroundings.
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Earliest cadastral maps:
Modern town plan:
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Additional maps:
Additional maps on parks and palaces
The "Fundbuch":
Blaufuß, the surveyor who was in charge of the 1823 survey of Weimar, numbered
all plots consecutively, from 1 to 1271. He then noted the usage, the owner, and the owner's professsion,
for each plot. Thus, the 'Fundbuch' is one of the earliest address books in Germany. It could have originated
as an idea of Goethe's.
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Interpretation of urban history in text and growth:
Textual commentary as an urban history:
Maps charting the phases of urban growth:
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