Polish Cartographical Review Vol. 50, 2018, no. 1, pp. 47–56 DOI: 10.2478/pcr-2018-0001 ROMAN WYTYCZAK Ossoliński National Institute Wrocław, Poland [email protected] Usage of the Atlas of Silesia from 1752 in European cartographic publications Abstract. The author discusses adaptations of maps from the Atlas of Silesia published by European cartographers in more important atlases and multi-sheet maps from the second half of the 18th and early 19th century. Thanks to such adaptations the cartographic image of Silesia could be observed far beyond its borders. Its quality varied, however, both in planimetric contents and in relief. While situation was mostly re- presented rather correctly in relation to the maps from the Atlas of Silesia, presentation of orography largely differed from the original as well as from its real character. Even application of three methods of relief pre- sentation on a single map did not bring on proper results, mainly due to the fact that the authors of adaptations did not know Silesia. Keywords: old maps of Silesia, situational contents of maps, relief presentation on maps in the 18th century 1. Introduction 2. Maps of Silesia In the summer of 1752, after many years of Having no maps of Silesia of his own, Frede- hindrance, Atlas Silesiae (the Atlas of Silesia) rick II reckoned that the obtained materials was published by the famous publishing house could be used for military purpose. Therefore of Homann Heirs in Nuremberg. It had been he forbade their further sale, and most impor- 30 years since the Emperor Charles VI of Austria tantly any updating of Homann’s maps. For his commissioned J.Wieland, the main author of own use he ordered a generalized mapping of the Atlas, to elaborate maps of the Silesian the Prussian province at the scale of 1:275,000 duchies. One of the reasons of such delay was which had been executed in 1744 (K. Lindner that Silesia went under the rule of Prussia as 1987, p. 55, 174). It can be considered as one a result of the first Silesian war in 1742. of the first adaptations of the work of Wieland The new ruler of Silesia, King Frederick II the and Schubarth, immediately classified by the Great had had an opportunity to become King and remaining in the manuscript ever since. acquainted with several maps of Silesian du- It soon became evident that further war to chies before subordinating the land on the Odra keep the gained territory required better maps river, because since 1730s they had been sold than the ones captured before1. Because of that separately by Homann’s company through the Frederick II issued an order to perform a spe- Korns bookstore in Wrocław (M. Hanke 1935, cial military mapping of Silesia, which was done p. 334; B. Horodyski 2002, p. 103). The king in 1747–1753 under supervision of C.F. Wrede had another contact with them in 1741 after and which consisted of 200 sheets at the ap- the battle of Małujowice (Mollvitz), victorious for proximate scale of 1:33,000. When the work Prussians. M. Schubarth, the other author of the Atlas, was wounded during the battle on 1 the Austrian side, and his original Silesian Maps of duchies from the Atlas were used by Austrians during Silesian wars. First mappings serving military purpose maps became a part of the loot of the winners appeared were done in Austria in 1763, after the wars had (M. Hanke 1935, p. 141). ended. 48 Roman Wytyczak on the project was almost finished, the King entered the atlas. They were maps by: M. Haas allowed publication of the Atlas Silesiae, which in two sheets (1745, 1746), T. Mayer (1749) had been ready for 2 years and which appeared and J.Felbiger’s map of the Wrocław diocese with the already printed date of 1750. Wrede’s (1751) on the base of the maps of the Duchies. map was used by the Prussians in the third A topographic–general map by J. Lidl was also Silesian war, known as the seven-year war published (approx. 1745) as well as thematic (1756–1763). maps on the base of the Atlas: hydrographic The Prussian king showed interest in the (Halle, approx. 1750), economic by K. Hentschel cartography of the subordinated province, (Nuremberg 1793) and probably the only map which is evident in the large number of elabo- elaborated in Silesia in the second half of this rations, not only of military character, which 18th century, a rare map by I. Fischer, the topic were prepared during his rule. Many of them of which was Silesian Protestantism at the presented fortifications of Silesian fortresses time. It was published in 1773 by the publishing (e.g. Wrocław, Świdnica, Brzeg, Głogów) as well house of F. Günther in Głogów. as other urban areas. Three new topographic In the 19th century there also appeared admi- maps of Silesia were elaborated (L.W. Regler, nistrative and general maps with using of base F.W. Schmettau, W. Hammer). Studies de- contents, sometimes only with drawing of water voted to economic activity were also prepared, network, published i.a. in Augsburg, Berlin, e.g. maps of rivers, forested areas or cartogra- Paris as well as in Wrocław, where since the phic presentations of settlements in the area of beginning of the century there had already Opole and Strzelin on the base of Wieland and existed more than a dozen publishing booksto- Schubarth’s maps of the Duchies (M. Hanke res which also active in the field of cartography 1935, pp. 171−240). (R. Wytyczak 2008, pp. 9–10, 2014, pp. 69–79). However, all this considerable output was not publicly available, but rather kept in the 3. Atlases and multi-sheet maps royal collection (Königliche Plankammer) in of Germany and Poland the form of classified manuscripts. Therefore it could not have influenced the development of The work of Homann was used, in wider cartography in Silesia. As a matter of fact, in sense, in other publications, such as more im- the second half of the 18th century in Silesia portant various atlases and multi-sheet maps there appeared almost no cartographic publi- of Germany and Poland. This issue has not 2 cations for public use . Thus the Habsburg been researched so far, although it deserves 3 Atlas Silesiae , as the first official work of car- attention because of, i.a. the exceptional car- tography of Silesia, added to the new map tographic quality of the Atlas. Table 1 presents image of the province which was already Prus- more detailed information on these publica- sian at that time. It happened as a result of tions. Most of the listed atlases and maps were adaptation of the Wieland and Schubarth’s elaborated during the Enlightenment, at the maps of the Duchies done mostly by cartogra- time of significant development of the know- phers out of Silesia. This process lasted until ledge on the Earth due to numerous research the 1840s and consisted in adapting atlas maps as well as scientific and discovery expeditions. or using them as bases for current contents. They resulted in i.a. an increased interest in As a result there appeared quite accom- maps, which became a significant source of plished general maps of Silesia, four of which information about the contemporary world, making it possible to not only learn but also to 2 For the sake of precision let us note that during that understand it better. Atlases and maps presented period there appeared subsequent editions of M.Helwig’s in the table are largely compilations of often woodcarved map of Silesia from 1561. They were published in Wrocław in 1765, twice in 1776 and in 1778. All those valuable and well-known cartographic works maps were intended as collectors’ items. often created by proficient authors. 3 Atlas Silesiae id est Ducatus Silesiae generaliter Quatour Mappis nec non specialiter XVI Mappis tot. Principatus 3.1 Atlases of Germany and the World repraesentatibus geographice exhibitus, Addita Praefatione qua de Historia huiuis Atlantis agitur auctoritate publica in lucem emissus ab Homannianis Heredibus. Norimbergae One of the first publications using the maps 1750 [1752]. by J.W. Wieland and M. Schubarth was Atlas Usage of the Atlas of Silesia from 1752 in European cartographic publications 49 Table 1. Atlases and multi-sheet maps of the world, Germany and Poland Relief presentation Place and year Atlases and maps Authors methods of edition on Silesia maps Atlas Selectus von allen Johann Georg Leipzig hillocks Königreichen und Länder Schreiber [after 1750] Atlas Minor… Tobias Conrad Lotter Augsburg hillocks [after 1772] Atlas Topographique et Militaire qui hillocks comprend les Etats de la Couronne Roch Joseph Julien Paris 1758 semi-perspective de Boheme et la Saxe Electorale hillocks Grand Atlas d’Allemagne… Johann Wilhelm Jäger Frankfurt/M. 1789 semi-perspective simple hachure Allgemeiner Grosser Franz Anton Schrämbl Wien 1800 simple hachure Schrämblischer Atlas Schauplatz der fünf Theile der Welt mit bestaendiger Rücksicht Franz Johann Joseph auf die besten Originalwerke in drey 1789−1806 hillocks von Reilly Theile Zusammengetragen von einer Gesellschaft Geographen Karte von Deutschland Daniel Friedrich Berlin 1789 simple hachure im XVI Blatt… Sotzmann Charte von Deutschland… Franz Ludwig Güssefeld Nürnberg 1790 hillocks Map of the Empire of Germany… Louis Delarochette London 1790 hillocks Carte Générale de L’Empire hillocks Chauchard Paris 1790 D’Allemagne… semi-perspective General-Karte Von Teutschland… Friedrich Wilhelm Streit Weimar 1810 simple hachure Józef Aleksander Jabłonowski, hillocks Carte de la Pologne… Paris 1772 Giovanni Antonio semi-perspective Rizzi-Zannoni Selectus published in Leipzig, probably after les of approx. 1:350,000 to approx.