Ausführliche Geographische Vorstellung der Gegend um London

Title

Ausführliche Geographische Vorstellung der Gegend um London

Description

Map shows the surroundin of london with a total view of London.

dated 1791

Artist

Homann Erben (1724-1780)

Johann Babtiste Homann (1664-1724) was born in Oberkammlach, the Electorate of Bavaria. Although educated at a Jesuit school, and preparing for an ecclesiastical career, he eventually converted to Protestantism and from 1687 worked as a civil law notary in Nuremberg. He soon turned to engraving and cartography; in 1702 he founded his own publishing house. Homann acquired renown as a leading German cartographer, and in 1715 was appointed Imperial Geographer by Emperor Charles VI. Giving such privileges to individuals was an added right that the Holy Roman Emperor enjoyed. In the same year he was also named a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Of particular significance to cartography were the imperial printing privileges (Latin: privilegia impressoria). These protected for a time the authors in all scientific fields such as printers, copper engravers, map makers and publishers. They were also very important as a recommendation for potential customers. In 1716 Homann published his masterpiece Grosser Atlas ueber die ganze Welt (Grand Atlas of all the World). Numerous maps were drawn up in cooperation with the engraver Christoph Weigel the Elder, who also published Siebmachers Wappenbuch. Homann died in Nuremberg. He was succeeded by the Homann heirs company, which was in business until 1848. The company was known as Homann Erben, Homanniani Heredes, or Heritiers de Homann abroad.

Historical Description

With the collapse of Roman rule in the early 5th century, London ceased to be a capital city, and the walled city of Londinium was virtually abandoned, although Roman civilization persisted in the St. Martin-in-the-Fields area until about 450. By 500, an Anglo-Saxon settlement called Lundenwic had developed just west of the old Roman town. By 680 the city had become a major port, although there is little evidence of large-scale production. By the 11th century, London was incomparably the largest city in England. Westminster Abbey, rebuilt in the Romanesque style by King Edward the Confessor, was one of the largest churches in Europe. Winchester had previously been the capital of Anglo-Saxon England, but from that point on London became the main forum for foreign merchants and the base for defense in wartime. After winning the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066 in the newly completed Westminster Abbey. In the 12th century, the institutions of central government that had previously accompanied the royal English court on its journey throughout the country grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed in one place. During the Tudor period, the Reformation led to a gradual shift to Protestantism, and much of London's property passed from the church to private ownership, accelerating trade and business in the city. In 1475, the Hanseatic League established in London its main trading base (kontor) in England, the Stalhof or Steelyard. It existed until 1853, when the Hanseatic cities of Lübeck, Bremen and Hamburg sold the property to the Southeastern Railway. However, the reach of the English maritime enterprise barely extended beyond the seas of northwestern Europe. The trade route to Italy and the Mediterranean usually passed through Antwerp and over the Alps; any ships passing through the Straits of Gibraltar to or from England were likely Italian or Ragusan. When the Netherlands was reopened to English shipping in January 1565, there was a burst of business. The Royal Exchange was established. Mercantilism grew and monopoly trading companies such as the East India Company were established, with trade expanding to the New World. London became the most important North Sea port, and migrants arrived from England and abroad. In the 16th century, William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived in a time of hostility to the development of theater in London. In 1637, the government of Charles I attempted to reform the administration in the London area. The plan called for the Corporation of the City to extend its jurisdiction and administration to expanding areas in the city. During the English Civil War, the majority of Londoners supported the parliamentary cause. After an initial Royalist advance in 1642, culminating in the battles of Brentford and Turnham Green, London was surrounded by a defensive wall known as the Lines of Communication. The Great Fire of London broke out in Pudding Lane in the city in 1666 and quickly swept through the wooden buildings. It took over ten years to rebuild. In 1708, Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, was completed. In 1762, George III purchased Buckingham House and it was expanded over the next 75 years. During the 18th century, London was haunted by crime, and the Bow Street Runners were formed in 1750 as a professional police force. The coffee house became a popular place to discuss ideas. Growing literacy and the development of the printing press made news widely available. and Fleet Street became the center of the British press. After the invasion of Napoleonic armies in Amsterdam, many financiers moved to London, especially a large Jewish community, and the first international edition in London was arranged in 1817. Around the same time, the Royal Navy became the world's leading navy serious deterrent against potential economic enemies of the United Kingdom.