Thann

Title

Thann

Map shows the city of Thann in Alsace, on reverse representation of grain thrash

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

The history of Alsace, a region on the western edge of the German-speaking area, is shaped by the fruitful influence of two of Europe's great cultural areas: Germanic (German) and Romance (French). After the Great Migration, it was first Germanised and incorporated into the cultural currents of German history. Since modern times it has increasingly come under the political control of the French kingdom. Various forms emerged here, the Duchy of Alsace (7th – 8th centuries), the two landgravates of Alsace (12th – 17th centuries) and the early modern French province of Alsace (17th – 18th centuries). Today's Alsace was first settled by humans around 700,000 years ago and was one of the core regions of the Celts. After a period of unclear and changing power relations, Alsace became part of Alemannia until the 7th century, which was a more or less autonomous administrative district of the Franconian Empire. In 988 at the latest, Alsace became part of the Duchy of Swabia, with which it remained until the end of 1250. After 1250, a large number of different territories developed, most of which came under French rule between 1633 and 1697/1714. The French province of Alsace was established, its borders partially differing from those of the earlier landgravates. At the beginning of the French Revolution, all special political rights were abolished in 1789 and the two departments of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin were created in 1790. Between 1871 and 1918, Alsace, as part of Alsace-Lorraine, belonged to the German Empire, which was led by Prussia. In 1918 the two Alsatian districts came back to France as departments.