On an off-white rectangular sheet of paper, a rectangular colorful woodcut print of the city of Frankfurt an der Oder is surrounded by a black frame and its layout is horizontal. This large sheet is actually two sheets connected in the middle. Above the image, a series of Latin words spreads along its upper frame. Under the image, four more lines of Latin can be found; the first line of text, the longest, is printed in the same size as the one above the image. The three other lines, printed below the first, decrease in length in descending order and are printed in smaller text. All words both outside and inside of the map are printed in black. At the bottom right corner, “DD 1 Anno'' is printed in small text. Within the black frame, the city-view map of Frankfurt an der Oder shows the bird’s-eye view of the Oder river, seen from one side. The image has black and white woodblock print as a base layer and on top of it are the coloring and shading added to the image by hands. This map is outstanding due to its two fold artistic interventions coming together from different artists -- the one who does the woodcut print and the one who does coloring. Other similar woodcut prints of Frankfurt an der Oder are often either without the coloring or are colored with one tone of color and lack the shading. In the background of the image is a two-colored sky with blue above and white below. Darker blue color is painted on the space where the print of the carved lines is more concentrated in the sky. Some lighter blue clouds take up the sky’s upper space and different styles of shading help define their forms. Covering most of the sky’s space, a large twisting pinkish ribbon banner with fancy font, printed “Frankfurt an der Oder 1548” and “ANNO DNI” -- which is anno domini or in the year of the Lord, is floating. This is the only place on the map with German words. On the white space of the sky, there are black printed letters, possibly suggesting the names of the buildings and spaces below them. Below the sky, which is decorated with the sinuous elegant ribbon banner, lie the fertile land and city of Frankfurt an der Oder. Behind the mostly bright brick-orange colored architecture, there are green mountains with plowed fields, dark green trees, and bushes. Some simple huts are scattered throughout the area. Although these mountains show a separate agricultural zone behind the city, the map has no atmospheric perspective due to the limitations of woodblock printing. In the city, a cluster of buildings contains various kinds of architecture. The left side of the city seems to be less populated for there are fewer buildings and more trees, while the rest of the city contains mostly buildings. Most of the buildings which seem to be religious spaces have their names accompanying them on the white sky. In the middle ground of the map, the Oder river takes up most of the space. A wooden bridge with a red-roof fort, coming out of the city in the background, connects it to the land in the foreground. The light blue Oder river contains some darker blue markings to create more dimensions and some shading to create the wave lines and the river’s movements. In the river, like the white sky, there are words printed along with the images. Some boats are scattered in the river and some are assembled at the waterfront of the city. Some lumber is also being transported in the Oder. In the foreground of the map, there are unpaved roads -- one with words on it as if to address its name or to point out which direction it leads to. On this side of the Oder, it seems that it is less developed when compared to the other side, since there are scattered pieces and piles of lumber all over. The roads seem to be full of dirt and rocks. Although this side of the river is obviously less populated with monasteries or even human habitations, the collective progress to create a civilized German city is continuing. Perhaps one of the most fascinating elements of this city-view map is the people who are dwarfed by the landscape. Some of them are rowing their boats, some are walking, riding horses, carrying things, cutting wood, and fishing. These people are performing their daily activities without being aware that they are watched by the painter or the map maker. This German landscape is portrayed with its distinct natural and cultural elements, as Sebastian Münster wanted to display German towns with their local specificity. The source and date are derived from the information provided by the donor. (Saly Sirothphiphat’ 21)
Ptolemy and Sebastian Münster. Geographia uniuersalis, uetus et noua, complectens Claudii Ptolemaei Alexandrini enarrationis libros VIII. Basil: Henrichus Petrus, 1545.
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
1. https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/26188/frankfurt-an-der-oder-1548-munster 2. OCLC: 22248296 Historic Cities (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Special Collections (Flat Files) ; G5700 1400-1800 Map 09