Die Statt Colmar cotrafehtet nach aller ihrer Gelegenheit/sampt umbligender Landschafft

Title

Die Statt Colmar cotrafehtet nach aller ihrer Gelegenheit/sampt umbligender Landschafft

Map shows the bird´s eye view of the city Colmar in Alsace , on reverse a vine

ca. 1550

Artist

Münster (1489-1552)

Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) was a leading Renaissance cosmographer. His most famous work, the Cosmographia (1544), was a comprehensive description of the world with 24 maps, based on research dating back to 1528. Continuously revised, the 1550 edition already included many new maps. It was the first scientific yet accessible world description published in German, illustrated with numerous woodcuts by artists such as Hans Holbein the Younger. Between 1544 and 1650, the Cosmographia appeared in 46 editions (27 in German) and was translated into several languages. Münster’s work combined the knowledge of scholars, artists, and travelers and remained influential long after his death.

Historical Description

Colmar was first mentioned in documents in 823 as a royal estate under the name Columbarium (Fiscum), “pigeon house”. Colmar is located on the Alsace Wine Route and likes to call itself the capital of Alsatian wines. The town is famous for its well-preserved architectural heritage spanning six centuries. In the 14th century, Colmar joined the League of Ten Cities. From 1564, Colmar, like other towns in the Upper Rhine region, was home to a famous school of mastersingers. During the Thirty Years' War, Colmar was besieged and captured by Swedish troops in 1632. . Colmar became the administrative seat of the Haut-Rhin department in 1791. The troops of the French King Louis XIV occupied Colmar in 1673 and in the Peace of Nijmegen in 1679, Colmar became part of France and has shared the history of Alsace ever since. The town became the administrative seat of the Haut-Rhin department in 1791 and in the 19th century Colmar had an efficient textile industry.