Dell’Europa, la quale comprende all’ et nostrail mondo Christiano, et qualche poco del paese del Turco.

Title

Dell’Europa, la quale comprende all’ et nostrail mondo Christiano, et qualche poco del paese del Turco.

Description

Map shows Europe without Scandinavia.

ca. 1550

Artist

Münster (1489-1552)

Sebastian Münsters (1489-1552) is one of the famous cosmographers of the Renaissance. Its real importance in the field of cartography is based on its famous cosmography, which he published in 1544 with 24 double-sided maps (including Moscow and Transylvania). The material for this came largely from research and the collection of information from around 1528, which he initially only wanted to use for a description of Germany, but was now sufficient for a map of the entire world and ultimately led to a cosmography. He constantly tried to improve this work, i.e. to replace or add to maps. In the edition of 1550, only 14 maps were taken over from the earlier editions. The 52 maps printed in the text were also only partially based on the old maps. The great success of this cosmography was also based on the precise work of the woodcuts mostly by Hans Holbein the Younger, Urs Graf, Hans Rudolph Deutsch and David Kandel. It was the first scientific and at the same time generally understandable description of the knowledge of the world in German, in which the basics of history and geography, astronomy and natural sciences, regional and folklore were summarized according to the state of knowledge at that time. Cosmography is the science of describing the earth and the universe. Until the late Middle Ages, geography, geology and astronomy were also part of it. The first edition of the Cosmographia took place in 1544 in German, printed in Heinrich Petri's office in Basel. Heinrich Petri was a son from the first marriage of Münster's wife to the Basel printer Adam Petri. Over half of all editions up to 1628 were also published in German. However, the work has also been published in Latin, French, Czech and Italian. The English editions all comprised only a part of the complete work. Viktor Hantzsch identified a total of 46 editions in 1898 (German 27; Latin 8; French 3; Italian 3; Czech 1) that appeared from 1544 to 1650, while Karl Heinz Burmeister only had 36 (German 21; Latin 5; French 6; Italian 3; Czech 1) that appeared between 1544 and 1628. The first edition from 1544 was followed by the second edition in 1545, the third in 1546, the fourth edition in 1548 and the fifth edition in 1550, each supplemented by new reports and details, text images, city views and maps and revised altogether. Little has been known about who - apart from the book printers Heinrich Petri and Sebastian Henricpetri - were responsible for the new editions after Münster's death. The 1628 edition was edited and expanded by the Basel theologian Wolfgang Meyer. With Cosmographia, Sebastian Münster has published for the first time a joint work by learned historians and artists, by publishers, wood cutters and engravers. The numerous vedute are usually made as woodcuts. Sebastian Münster obtained his knowledge from the travel reports and stories of various scholars, geographers, cartographers and sea travelers. Long after his death, "Kosmographie" was still a popular work with large editions: 27 German, 8 Latin, 3 French, 4 English and even 1 Czech editions appeared. The last edition appeared in Basel in 1650.

Historical Description

The history of Europe from the 15th to the 19th century was shaped by profound political, social, and cultural changes that formed modern Europe. At the beginning of the 15th century, Europe was marked by the effects of the Middle Ages and the feudal structure. A significant event was the Renaissance, which began around 1400 in Italy and marked a revival of classical ancient culture, art, and sciences. The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 was also revolutionary and promoted the spread of knowledge. By the end of the century, European explorers, such as Christopher Columbus, began finding new trade routes, which led to the discovery of the New World. The 16th century was defined by the Reformation, when Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in 1517, challenging the Catholic Church. This led to religious conflicts and the division of Western Christianity into Catholics and Protestants. Politically, Europe saw the rise of the Habsburg Empire and the development of nation-states such as France and England. The age of exploration continued, leading to a new wave of colonization. The 17th century was a time of wars and political instability, including the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), which devastated much of Europe. These conflicts resulted in significant territorial changes and the establishment of the modern Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. During this time, Absolutism took root, with monarchs like Louis XIV of France exercising absolute power. The 18th century was marked by the ideas of the Enlightenment, which emphasized reason, science, and individual freedom. This led to profound political and social reforms. At the same time, major wars such as the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714) and the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) took place. The century ended with the events of the French Revolution (1789), which overthrew the monarchy and established the Republic. This paved the way for the Napoleonic Wars and the Napoleonic Era, which triggered political and social upheavals throughout Europe. The 19th century was shaped by the aftermath of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, which reshaped Europe's political system. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Europe was reorganized at the Congress of Vienna. Nationalism and Liberalism grew, leading to significant political upheavals, including the German Confederation, the unification of Italy, and the formation of the German Empire in 1871. At the same time, industrialization and urbanization began, significantly altering Europe's economic and social structure. The 19th century ended with the outbreak of World War I in 1914, which shattered the entire European power structure and many social systems.