German Historical Geography and the German

German Historical Geography and the German Genealogist
Modern Cartography
Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (Bundesamtes für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG))
To purchase maps and other geodata, use the online shop (Dienstleistungszentrum) des Bundes für
Geoinformation und Geodäsie at http://www.geodatenzentrum.de/geodaten/gdz_rahmen.gdz_div
To view maps of Germany online, use the German Geoportal: http://www.geoportal.de/DE/
Geoportal/geoportal.html?lang=en and enter the town or village you seek.
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Modern Cartography of Neighboring States at times part of the historical German Empire
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Austria, use the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (Bundesamt für Eich- und
Vermessungswesen or BEV) http://www.bev.gv.at A geoportal is http://www.austrianmap.at
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Czech Republic, use CUZK (Český úřad zeměměřický a katastrální)
http://www.cuzk.cz/Uvod.aspx No English version. Geoportal at http://geoportal.cuzk.cz No
English version.
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Denmark, use GST (Geodatastyrelsen), (previously Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen, short KMS).
http://gst.dk
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France (for Alsace-Lorraine), use IGN (Institut Géographique National) http://www.ign.fr The
geoportal is http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil Detail maps of many regions may be ordered
from the KLeisure Activities Shop (Boutique Loisirs) http://loisirs.ign.fr Here you can also create
your own personal maps (Carte à la Carte) On-line Hiking maps are at Géorando http://
www.georando.fr with extensive topographical detail.
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Poland, use GUGIK (Główny Urząd Geodezji i Kartografii) http://www.gugik.gov.pl No English
version.
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Slovakia, use UGKKsa (Úrad geodézie, kartografie a katastra) http://www.skgeodesy.sk/sk/ The
English version is currently under construction.
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Ukraine, the relevant agency is Holovne Upravlinnja Heodezii Kartografi ta Kardastruv (HUHKK),
but it does not currently have a web presence.
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Russia, use The Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr)
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Classic Cartography
Germany, Topographic Maps, 1860-1965 (in German), [Topografische Karten Deutschlands,
1860-1965, http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1294]. This database consists of a set of
detailed maps at 1:100,000 scale (or 1 inch to 1.58 miles or 1 cm to 1 km) covering the entire German
Empire as it existed prior to World War I.
Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire (in German), [Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des
Deutschen Reichs, http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1074]. This database contains
Meyers Geographical and Commercial Gazetteer of the German Empire (or Meyers Orts- und VerkehrsLexikon des Deutschen Reichs (in German). This gazetteer of the German Empire is the gazetteer to use
to locate place names in German research. It was originally compiled in 1912. This gazetteer is the
gazetteer to use because it includes all areas that were part of the pre-World War I (WWI) German
Empire.
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Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (in German). [eine Encyklopädie des allgemeinen Wissens, http://
search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1278] Meyers Konversations-Lexikon is a historic
encyclopedia that was published in the late 19th century. It consists of 18 volumes and over 97,000
encyclopedic entries. Entries include, among other subjects, biographical sketches of prominent
individuals of the time, place histories and descriptions, illustrations, and maps, including some of
the best maps of pre-World War I German Empire provinces.
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Gemeindelexikon für das Königreich Preußen: Auf Grund der Materialen der Volkszahlung vom 1
Dezember 1905 (in German), [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=34415]. This is a
statistical abstract listing places within the Prussian Empire [much of Germany] published by the
Royal Prussian Statistical Bureau, in 13 sections, 1909. It can be used to understand the place of
individual populated places within the administrative framework of the Empire, their size, etc.
Difficult to use!
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Historical Atlases on the Web
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http://www.hoeckmann.de/ Germany in detail before the Napoleonic Wars. Example: Northern
Baden-Württemburg in 1789. Note [Roman Catholic] Church lands in purple.
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http://www.hgis-germany.de A historical geographic information system [HGIS}. Useful back to
1820. Example: roads and railroads in 1852 in northern Bavaria.
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Germany Check out the section of historical maps.
Assembles historical data and map images for many themes, eras, and historical states. Examples:
The religious situation in 1618, at the start of the 30 Years War; The distribution of Jews in westcentral Germany in 1895; The new governmental organization under the Nazis in 1941.
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http://www.maproom.org a ssite for digitized historical maps by varied publishers, mostly 19th and
20th centuries. Example: F.W. Putzger’s Historischer Schul-Atlas, 1905 and 1914. Detail from a map of
Alsace-Lorraine in 1648. See also for example: Historischer Atlas von Sachsen, 1816 http://
www.files.maproom.org/00/12/index.php
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Server for digital historical maps at the Leibniz Institute of European History - Mainz http://
www.ieg-maps.uni-mainz.de Thematic Digital and Political Maps
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Geschichtlicher Atlas von Hessen http://cgi-host.uni-marburg.de/~hlgl/atlas/inhalt.cgi?page=0
Example Hesse in 1803. Note the soon to disappear Principality of Leiningen.
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http://www.landkartenarchiv.de/index.php An enormous collection of 1:25,000 scale topographical
maps [3,760]; the 674 1:100,000 scale topographical maps and thousands of other sheets and atlas
pages. Site loads very slowly.
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Special Genealogical Tools
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Geogen. http://christoph.stoepel.net/geogen/en/Default.aspx Find where your surname occurs in
Germany.
Some Favorite Works
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William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas. New York. Barnes & Noble, 8th Edition, 1956.
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Karl Baedeker’s [the Baedeker Family] Handbooks for Travelers, from 1829 until 1948 in Leipzig.
Many editions for widely varied areas of Europe and the World. Perhaps the most informative were
published between 1885 and 1914.
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DPL Restricted Access [Genealogical Collection] Resources
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Atlas of the German Empire, 1892 : Reproductions (Enlarged) of Maps Published By Verlag Des
Bibliographischen Instituts, Leipzig And Vienna, Published In 1892. DPL Call Number: G911.43
A8814.
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The German Empire of 1871 : 21 Different Maps Covering Each Kingdom, Province, Principality,
Duchy, Etc., Including 1 General Map Of The Entire German Empire. By Jensen, Larry O. DPL Call
Number: G912.43 J453ge 1975
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The German Empire 1875 [MAP]. DPL Call Number: G912.43 G317
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How to Read & Understand Meyers Orts- Und Verkehrs-Lexikon Des Deutschen Reichs : Meyers
Geographical and Commercial Gazetteer Of The German Empire. by Uncapher, Wendy K. DPL Call
Number: G914.3003 U545ho 2003
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Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs : With Researcher's Guide and Translations of
the Introduction, Instruction for the Use of the Gazetteer and Abbreviations. by Wright, Raymond S.
III. DPL Call Number: G910.30943 W935me
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Minert, Roger, Phillip, German Name Geography for Genealogists. R.P. Minert, 1992. 18 pages.
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Minert’s series on “Identifying Place Names Using Alphabetical And Reverse Alphabetical Indexes”
at DPL
MECKLENBURG PLACE NAME INDEXES : IDENTIFYING PLACE NAMES USING
ALPHABETICAL AND REVERSE ALPHABETICAL INDEXES by Minert, Roger P. (Roger Phillip),
1952- DPL Call Number: G910.3094317 M662me
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WÜRTTEMBERG PLACE NAME INDEXES : IDENTIFYING PLACE NAMES USING
ALPHABETICAL AND REVERSE ALPHABETICAL INDEXES by Minert, Roger P. Call
Number: G910.3094346 M662wu
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Charles W. Berberich
03/01/2015