Stichting Historische Cartografie van de Nederlanden

Thursday, 5 December 2024 

The Historical cartography of the Netherlands


There are many good cartographic studies. For example:  

About three students from Leuven Gemma Frisius, Jacob van Deventer and Gerard Mercator. They were the founders of modern cartography of the Netherlands and have made an important contribution each in their area of development and expansion. Gemma Frisius by the application of trigonometry in the Surveying, geographer Gerard Kremer from Rupelmonde, better known as Mercator; Jacobus the Daventria [Deventer], the man of practice, the mapmaker.
 
On the role of southern Dutch city of Antwerp with the activities there such as those of Ortelius - the author of the first world atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum - and those of publisher and book printer Plantijn, who besides publications on various topics,let various cartographic work see the light.
 
On the relocation of the main cartographic activity to the north and the great flowering of the map company in Amsterdam during the Golden Age. In Amsterdam, a great concentration of cartographic power was present. One of the highlights were the works of Willem Jansz. Who renamed himself Blaeu from 1621, and of his son Joan, who in the mid-17th century, published the world-famous 12-piece Atlas Maior. At the time of the Blaeu's, other famous artists engraved and published in Amsterdam such as Kaerius [coming from the South Van der Keere] the Visschers, family Janssonius, etc.
 
On a specific sector of the cartographic enterprise, the for expanding trade very important sea maps, where in the northern Netherlands since Waghenaer in the 16th century a global reputation was built. Waghenaer became an international understanding, the British called every sea atlas a Waggener.

About cartographic business in the second half of the 17th and throughout the 18th century when the Netherlands as a leading high power increasingly hit the second plan, but in the field of printing, including cartography still were the number one: for example, by the issues of De Wit and publications Coven & Mortier.