Nova Illustrissimi Principatus Pomeraniae Descriptio

Professor Eilhard Lübben

Published by Amsterdam, 1758

About this Item

One of the finest pre-Enlightenment examples of large-scale surveying and mapping, and a seminal map for the cartographic history of Poland, this is Eilhard Lübben s monumental 12-sheet map of Pomerania. Pomerania is the historical region on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, situated between the rivers Recknitz and Trebel in the west and Vistula in the east, and comprised of parts of today s Poland and Germany. The Duchy of Pomerania was ruled by the House of Griffin from the 12th century until 1637, and the reigning ruler from 1606 to 1618 was the eccentric Duke Philip II. Philip II understood the connection between accurate maps and effective administration. Yet contemporary maps of Pomerania were largely inaccurate. Philip II decided that a new and detailed cartographic survey of his territory was needed. For this enormous task, the Duke turned to mathematician and geographer Eilhard Lübben (1565-1621). Lübben, the son of a pastor, was an accomplished polymath. His first published map was of the island of Rügen and was published by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam around 1609. It was shortly after that Philip II commissioned Lübben to draw a map of the entire Duchy. It is estimated that some eight million people died during 30 year War. Pomerania was particularly devastated by the conflict. The last Griffin duke of Pomerania was Bogislaw XIV, who died during the war, leading to the division of Pomerania between Brandenburg-Prussia and Sweden. In the midst of this upheaval, all trace of the copperplates of Lübben s map were lost. There are no known copies of the initial 1618 printing. Over a century later, serendipity gave the map a second life. In 1756, Johann Carl Conrad Oelrichs found the printing plates undamaged in the attic of the house of the widow of the mayor of Straslung. A new printing was executed in 1758, and so the second edition came one hundred and forty years after the first. The 1758 edition provides the only direct link to its Lübben s original achievement. All 12 sheets combined, the map measures an impressive 216 x 124 cm (7 x 4 feet). Neatline is famous for its detailed and in-depth descriptions. To receive the full description for this listing free of charge, please contact us using the 'ask the seller' function below.

Seller Inventory # NL-00790

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Nova Illustrissimi Principatus Pomeraniae Descriptio
• Publisher: Amsterdam
• Publication Date: 1758
• Binding: No Binding
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • 17th century
  • Rare maps
  • wall-map