Topographischer Atlas vom Königreiche Baiern 1:50 000, 1812-1867

The "Topographischer Atlas vom Königreiche Baiern" (Topographic Atlas of the Kingdom of Bavaria) is based on the systematic survey of Bavaria (based on the "Instruction" by Joseph von Utzschneider (1763-1840)), carried out by the Statistisch-Topographisches Bureau (Statistic-Topographic Bureau) founded in 1801, today's Landesamt für Digitalisierung, Breitband und Vermessung (Bavarian State Agency for Digitization, High-Speed Internet and Surveying). In the founding charter of the Bavarian Topographical Bureau of 19 June 1801, Elector Maximilian IV Josef (later King Max I) named the production of a "Charte des Baierischen Kreises" (Map of the Bavarian Region) as primary task.

In 1804, when the first trigonometric designations and topographic images were available, he ordered the production of the "Topographischer Atlas von Bayern" (Topographic Atlas of Bavaria) on a scale of 1:50,000. From the handmade land survey on a scale of 1:2,500 and of 1:5,000, sheets on a scale of 1:50,000 were produced for the "Atlas" (misleadingly named in comparison to today's use of the term) using the technique of copper-engraving. They represent the first modern land survey of Bavaria.

The first sheets of the "Atlas" were presented to King Maximilian I in 1812; the last of the 112 sheets was completed in 1867. Due to the constant development of Bavaria (e.g. through the construction of railway lines), some of the maps had already been reworked by this time.

The Topographischer Atlas was followed in 1956 by the Topographische Landkarte on a scale of 1:50,000.

>> This multi-part work is part of the collection "Sets of Topographic Maps" of the "Maps and Plans from the Holdings of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek" (Bavarian State Library).