Eger.

Title

Eger.

Very beautiful hand-coloured city map of Eger (Cheb) on the Eger River in the Czech Republic with city index and city coat of arms.

ca. 1638

Artist

Merian (1593-1650)

Matthäus Merian (1593 – 1650) , born in Basel, learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zurich and subsequently worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, and Paris, before returning to Basel in 1615. The following year he moved to Frankfurt, Germany where he worked for the publisher Johann Theodor de Bry. He married his daughter, Maria Magdalena 1617. In 1620 they moved back to Basel, only to return three years later to Frankfurt, where Merian took over the publishing house of his father-in-law after de Bry's death in 1623. In 1626 he became a citizen of Frankfurt and could henceforth work as an independent publisher. He is the father of Maria Sibylla Merian, who later published her the famous and wellknown studies of flowers, insects and butterflies.

Historical Description

Eger (Cheb) is located in the west of present-day Czechia, near the German border, and has a long and eventful history. The region was already settled during the Bronze and Iron Ages. In the Middle Ages, a settlement arose here, strategically located along trade routes and the Eger (Ohře) River. In the 12th century, Eger was granted city rights. The town developed into an important trade and administrative center in western Bohemia and served as the seat of bishops and royal officials. In the 16th century, Eger experienced economic growth, particularly through trade, crafts, and brewing. The city was repeatedly affected by wars, including the Thirty Years’ War. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Eger belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia within the Habsburg Monarchy and later to Austria-Hungary. After World War I, it became part of Czechoslovakia. The German-speaking population strongly influenced the cityscape until 1945. After World War II, the German population was expelled, and the city became part of the modern Czech Republic. Today, Cheb is known for its well-preserved old town, medieval market square, and Eger Castle, and serves as a cultural center of the Karlovy Vary region.