Die Hertzogthümer Curland und Liefland

Title

Die Hertzogthümer Curland und Liefland

Description

Map depicts Estland and the city Reval (Tallin) with Lettland and the city Riga. Decorative cartouche and a wind rose. On the right side a description of the districts.

ca. 1710

Artist

Schreiber (1676-1750)

Johann George Schreiber (1676 - 1750) Leipzig. He was a german carthographer, mapmaker, printer and publisher. He was the first german carthographer who issued a map of Saxonia.

Historical Description

The Baltic States (Latin Balticum) is an area in Europe, which today includes the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic is named after the Central Latin name for the Baltic Sea as mare balticum, the "Baltic Sea". This term had been in use since the 11th century and first appeared with Adam von Bremen. The use of „mare balticum“ can be traced back to the name of a large island with rich amber deposits in northern Europe, which the ancient Roman scholar Pliny the Elder mentioned as Baltia or Balcia, actually probably Abalcia, and which was identified with the Prussian coast in the Middle Ages . The commercial cities were able to secure far-reaching freedoms within the order and achieved great wealth, especially in the 15th century, when they dominated the Baltic Sea trade as members of the Hanseatic League. The Baltic port cities were therefore culturally strongly influenced by Germany, Denmark and Sweden and have preserved this legacy in many aspects to this day. The reign of the Order over the territory of what is now Estonia and Latvia (Old Livonia) ended in the mid-16th century during the Reformation. In the Livonian War, Russia failed to conquer Livonia, but the contested territory came under the rule of its opponents, whom Livonia called for help. Livonia and Courland came under Polish sovereignty, Estonia became Swedish and the island of Saaremaa / Øsel Danish. Lithuania remained independent as it established a first alliance and treaty union with Poland, the Union of Krewo, in 1385, the others followed, and in 1569 led to the establishment of the noble republic of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.