Brandenburgensis Marchae Descriptio
Title
Brandenburgensis Marchae Descriptio
Alternative Title
Description of the March of Brandenburg
Description
This map displays the Brandenburg March, a borderland in northeastern Germany in 1598. The map is engraved and shows the town names, rivers and lakes, and forests of the area. The map is oriented with North at the top although there is not a compass. There are three labeled sections of the map: Marchia Antiqua to the left, Marchia Media in the middle, and Marchia Nova on the right. The three labeled sections are within a small black dashed line which represents the border of the march. Within these three sections there are labels for towns, rivers, and lakes. Berlin is situated in the center of Marchia Media and labeled with a small font. Outside of this march the kingdoms of Saxony and Poland are labeled to the south and east, respectively.
The detailed cartouche in the bottom left corner translates to, “This marquisate was first erected by the emperor Henry I in 923, and he was the first marquis named Henry, for once he was under the Saxon leaders.” The text is surrounded by a dark yellow mechanical-looking border and four inward facing heads with red cardinal hats. angels and figures exist in the ornate border of the cartouche, with a crest showing three red dots at the top of the image. A scale showing 12 German Miles is in the bottom right corner, outlined with similar imagery as the cartouche in the lower left. The map is surrounded by a detailed border, with labels in the four cardinal directions: “Septemtrio” in the North, “Occidens” in the West, “Oriens” in the East, and “Meridies” in the South.
The map was created by Abraham Ortelius who was a prominent mapmaker at the time and was based out of Antwerp (Koeman 2007). Ortelius was known for creating the first modern day atlas, which may have featured many regional maps like this one. Because Germany at this time was made up of different territories and regions, many German mapmakers at this time made maps about warfare and political history (Meurer 2007). This particular map doesn’t seem to focus on making such claims and focuses instead on the landscape features within the march.
Emma Watson ‘23 and Chloe Truebenbach ‘23
The detailed cartouche in the bottom left corner translates to, “This marquisate was first erected by the emperor Henry I in 923, and he was the first marquis named Henry, for once he was under the Saxon leaders.” The text is surrounded by a dark yellow mechanical-looking border and four inward facing heads with red cardinal hats. angels and figures exist in the ornate border of the cartouche, with a crest showing three red dots at the top of the image. A scale showing 12 German Miles is in the bottom right corner, outlined with similar imagery as the cartouche in the lower left. The map is surrounded by a detailed border, with labels in the four cardinal directions: “Septemtrio” in the North, “Occidens” in the West, “Oriens” in the East, and “Meridies” in the South.
The map was created by Abraham Ortelius who was a prominent mapmaker at the time and was based out of Antwerp (Koeman 2007). Ortelius was known for creating the first modern day atlas, which may have featured many regional maps like this one. Because Germany at this time was made up of different territories and regions, many German mapmakers at this time made maps about warfare and political history (Meurer 2007). This particular map doesn’t seem to focus on making such claims and focuses instead on the landscape features within the march.
Emma Watson ‘23 and Chloe Truebenbach ‘23
Creator
Abraham Ortelius
Source
Ortelius, Abraham. “Brandebvrgensis marchae descriptio.” Place of publication not identified: publisher not identified, 1598.
Format
sheet map removed from an atlas or book
Date
1598
Medium
engraving
Contributor
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Language
Latin
Type
regional map
Spatial Coverage
Brandenburg
References
Koeman, Cornelis, Günter Schilder, Marco van Egmond, and Peter van der Krogt. "44• Commercial Cartography and Map Production in the Low Countries, 1500–ca. 1672." (2007).
Meurer, Peter H. "Cartography in the German lands, 1450-1650." The History of Cartography 3, no. Part 2 (2007).
Meurer, Peter H. "Cartography in the German lands, 1450-1650." The History of Cartography 3, no. Part 2 (2007).
Rights
Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
Collection
Citation
Abraham Ortelius, “Brandenburgensis Marchae Descriptio,” Mapping the World, accessed May 3, 2025, https://www.hist231.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/56.