Wissenburgum. Weissenburg.

Title

Wissenburgum. Weissenburg.

Description

Bird's eye view of the town of Weißenburg in Bavaria, Middle Franconia.

ca. 1595

Artist

Braun/Hogenberg (1572-1618)

Frans Hogenberg (1535 – 1590) was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker. Hogenberg was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg In 1568 he was banned from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva. He travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. He is known for portraits and topographical views as well as historical allegories. He also produced scenes of contemporary historical events. George Braun (1541-1622), a cleric of Cologne, was the principal editor of the "Civitates Orbis Terrarum". The first volume of the Civitates Orbis Terrarum was published in Cologne in 1572. The sixth and the final volume appeared in 1617. This great city atlas, edited by Georg Braun and largely engraved by Franz Hogenberg, eventually contained 546 prospects, bird-eye views and map views of cities from all over the world. Braun (1541-1622), a cleric of Cologne, was the principal editor of the work, and was greatly assisted in his project by the close, and continued interest of Abraham Ortelius, whose Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of 1570 was, as a systematic and comprehensive collection of maps of uniform style, the first true atlas.

Historical Description

Weißenburg in is a large district town in the Middle Franconian district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen and the seat of the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen District Office. Originating from a Roman settlement around the fort Biriciana - the Limes was only a few kilometers away - and first mentioned in a document in 867, the city developed around a Carolingian royal court and received the status of a Free Imperial City in the early 14th century, which it was able to maintain until 1802. The historic townscape is characterized by the largely preserved town wall, the Gothic town hall, the town church of St. Andrew and the Ellinger Tor.