Regnum Borussiae, First Edition (1 results)

1st Edition. Very good. Light wear and discoloration along centerfold, mostly confined to bottom margin. Some soiling in bottom-right margin. Size 19 x 22.75 Inches. This is first edition Johann Baptist Homann's c. 1710 map of the Kingdom of Prussia, produced to commemorate the day (January 18, 1701) on which Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg crowned himself King Friedrich I in Prussia in Königsberg. The map displays the borders of the Kingdom of Prussia at its inception and presents a portrait of the new king framed by an ornate allegorical cartouche. A Closer Look The map reaches from the Baltic Sea to as far south as Toru? (Thorn) on the Vistula River and spans from the Duchy of Pomerania in the west to part of the Duchy of Samogitia in the east (today's Lithuania). The region here marked Prussiae Regnum constituted Eastern Prussia; this includes what is now the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia and the northeastern portions of Poland ('Prussia Polonica'). These are divided on the map into the regions Circulus Hockerlandiae, Circulus Natangiensis, and Circul Sambiensis. The map also includes the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the regions of Mirachowo, Puck, Cz?uchów, ?wiecie, Tuchola, ?ukowo, Che?mno Voivodeship, Micha?owo, and the Malbork Voivodeship. A Baroque Allegorical Cartouche The Baltic Sea is filled with an elaborate cartouche teeming with imagery. It is centered on a portrait of Frederick III, the Electorate of Brandenburg and King in Prussia; his motto ' Suum Cuique ' appears at his head. To the left, a quartet of putti support the arms of the Kingdom of Prussia; at the right, with its attendant cudgel-bearing, helmeted putti are the arms of the Prince-Elector of Brandenberg. To the right of Frederick's portrait is a map representing the Electorate of Brandenberg in Germany, which remained his domain and would be the western part of the new Kingdom of Prussia. The new king is here attended on the left by Minerva (goddess of wisdom-in-war); Hermes (messenger of the gods and patron of commerce) hovers to the right. Above Frederick, a crown is suspended jointly between the allegories of Fame and Modesty. The Emergence of Prussian Power Given the kingdom's subsequent importance and even centrality to German history, the historical origins of Prussia are surprisingly modest. The territory began as a relatively poor and unimportant duchy in vassalage to the Polish crown in the 16th century. It began to take shape under the leadership of the Hohenzollern family, Electors of Brandenberg, who inherited the duchy in 1618 and gained its sovereignty in the Second Northern War (1665 - 1660). Prussia's status as a rising power was confirmed in the early 18th century when it was allowed to elevate itself to a kingdom and Frederick to become 'King in Prussia' (not 'King of Prussia'). This specific terminology was a loophole, circumventing the restriction on kingdoms within the Holy Roman Empire, created by Emperor Leopold I (r. 1658 - 1705) to secure Prussia's support in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 - 1715). Although Prussia was outside of the Holy Roman Empire, Brandenburg was within it; thus, the Hohenzollern rulers operated with two separate titles until the end of the Holy Roman Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. More tangibly, Prussia's neighborhood was transformed by the Great Northern War (1700 - 1721), which saw Swedish power in northeastern Europe recede and Russia's increase. Joining the war in its latter years, Prussia gained territory and developed a strong emphasis on administrative and military modernization, led by Crown Prince and then King Frederick William I (r. 1713 - 1740). His son, Frederick II ('Frederick the Great,' r. 1740 - 1786), was the embodiment of a philosopher-king, a brilliant military strategist, and an ally of the Enlightenment. By the end of his reign, Prussia had significantly expanded its territory and was one of the leading powers in Europe. Publication History and Census This map's printing histo.