Moravia Marchionatus Auctore I. A. Comenio.

Title

Moravia Marchionatus Auctore I. A. Comenio.

Description

Magnificent map shows Moravia in the Czech Republic with two decorative cartouches and detailed representations of all cities, mountains and forests.

ca. 16730

Artist

Blaeu (1571-1638)

Joan Guilliemus Blaeu was the eldest son of Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638), and was probably born in Alkmaar in the province of Noord-Holland in the final years of the 16th century. He was brought up in Amsterdam, and studied law at the University of Leiden before going into partnership with his father in the 1630s. Although his father Willem had cartographic interests, having studied under the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe and having manufactured globes and instruments, his primary business was as a printer. It was under the control of Joan that the Blaeu printing press achieved lasting fame by moving towards the printing of maps and expanding to become the largest printing press in Europe in the 17th century. By the 1660s the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (or Atlas Maior as it had became known by this time) had expanded to between 9 and 12 volumes, depending on the language. With over 3,000 text pages and approximately 600 maps, it was the most expensive book money could buy in the later 17th century. The translation of the text from Latin into Dutch, English, German, French, and Spanish for several volumes created enormous work for those involved in typography and letterpress activities. It is estimated that over 80 men must have been employed full-time in the Blaeu printing house in Bloemgracht, not including engravers who worked elsewhere, with over 15 printing presses running simultaneously, and in 1667 a second press was acquired at Gravenstraat. At the same time as producing the Atlas Maior, Blaeu was also publishing town plans of Italy, maps for globes, and other volumes. At its peak the Blaeu press managed to produce over 1 million impressions from 1,000 copper plates within four years.

Historical Description

Moravia developed on both sides of the Amber Road in prehistoric times. Around 60 BC The Celtic Boier withdrew from the area and were replaced by Germanic Marcomanni and Quadi, who moved on to the Alpine foothills around 550 AD together with the Rugians. Today's Moravia was still independent for a short time after the devastating defeat against the Hungarians and came under Bohemian sovereignty around 955. After being ruled briefly by Poland's ruler Boleslaw Chrobry from 999 to 1019, Moravia finally became Bohemian in 1031. The Principality and later Kingdom of Bohemia was ruled by the Přemyslid dynasty until it died out in the male line in 1305. Moravian history has been parallel to the history of Bohemia almost continuously since 1031. After the Přemyslids died out, the kingdom was ruled by the House of Luxembourg until 1437. The Přemyslid and Luxembourg dynasties also included the Moravian margraves, so u. a. the later King Ottokar II. Přemysl, the later King and Emperor Charles IV. and his nephew, the largely independent Margrave Jobst of Moravia. In 1469, the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus advanced with his armed forces to Moravia to overthrow his father-in-law Georg von Podiebrad, whose daughter Katharina he married in 1461, as King of Bohemia. Matthias could never conquer the actual Bohemia, his rule only extended over the Bohemian neighboring countries Moravia, Silesia (with Breslau), Upper and Lower Lusatia. Nevertheless, he called himself King of Bohemia from 1469 and was crowned in 1471. As early as 1526, one of the first communities of property of the radical Reformation Anabaptist movement was formed around Balthasar Hubmaier in the Nikolsburg area. The impending dissolution of the Anabaptist community after the execution of Hubmaier in 1528 was prevented by Jakob Hutter, who came from Tyrol. The Anabaptists were also called the Hutterite Brothers after him. During the Catholic Reform and Recatholization, which were carried out by the Jesuits in particular, many churches were able to be consecrated Catholic again. The capital of Moravia and the seat of the margraves was the centrally located Olomouc from the rule of the Luxembourgers until 1641. After that, the larger Brno became the capital of the country. As the margraviate of Moravia, it formed its own crown land in the Austrian Empire and, from 1867, in the western half of Austria-Hungary. After Hungary left the empire and the real union Austria-Hungary was created in 1867, the remaining crown lands were officially referred to as Cisleithania or the kingdoms and countries represented in the Imperial Council.