Kommission «Geschichte der Kartographie»

Übersicht (Periode 1999 bis 2003)

Bericht (in Englisch) über den Arbeitskreis bzw. die Kommission Geschichte der Kartographie, von Wolfgang Scharfe und Markus Heinz, Berlin.
Erschienen in: Report on the cartographic activities of the Federal Republic of Germany in the period 1999–2003. Comp. Wolfgang Scharfe. Berlin, 2003. pp. 10–11 als Kapitel 2.4.3.
Vgl. auch die chronologisch vorangehende Übersicht über die Periode 1954 bis 1999.

2.4.3 History of Cartography

During the period reflected in this report the main task of the commission has been successfully continued: to focus research and to exchange information on the History of Cartography in the German speaking countries as well as adjoining regions. The traditional tool and focus of the commission's activities – the 'Cartographic Historical Colloquium' (Kartographiehistorisches Colloquium, KHC) – was organized for the 10th time 14–16 September 2000 in Bonn. The first part of the KHC was specially dedicated to Historical Geographers as a very important group of old map users and the perspectives of a more closer cooperation between History of Cartography and Historical Geography in the future. Prof. Fehn, Dr. Recker (Bonn) and Prof. Scharfe (Berlin) had invited speakers from different groups of scholars interested in and using maps from the past to give their respective state of the art as starting points for ensuing discussions during the KHC. The second part of the Bonn meeting saw a wide range of papers and reports on different issues, accompanied by 17 posters (about 120 participants coming from 10 countries).

The D-A-CH group discussed the project of a handbook/textbook on the History of Cartography to mark out the theoretical framework, to show practical approaches to solve problems of the day and to improve academic teaching in this field.

For the first time the Bonn KHC was sponsored by the 'Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunication' (Museumsstiftung Post und Telekommunikation) in a very effective way, starting a cooperation which should be continued in the years to come.[1]

In 2000 two very important and successful scholars in our field died: Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schaup and Prof. Arthur Dürst.

The sponsorship by the Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunication – a landmark in the frame of the KHC tradition – was continued when the 11th KHC took place in Nuremberg 19–21 September 2000 in the Museum of Communication which belongs to the Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunication. The first part of this scientific meeting had been reserved for the famous map maker Johann Baptist Homann and the 300th anniversary of the setting up of Homann's map production store in 1702. A few days before the colloquium's beginning an excellent and representative exhibition was opened in the Fembo House showing vividly the history of Homann, Homann Heirs and Christoph Fembo in Nuremberg. The guided tour to the exhibition became one of the highlights of this KHC. Traditionally the second part of the Nuremberg KHC offered a series of stimulating papers and reports, showing changing facets of the history of cartography between the 15th and the 20th centuries including topical aspects and problems (about 120 participants coming from 11 countries).[2]

During the Nuremberg KHC Prof. Scharfe announced his resignation from the chair of the Commission on the History of Cartography of the German Cartographic Society in late 2002 to hand over to a chairman representing younger generations of scholars. Prof. Scharfe had been chairman of this commission since 1972 and proposed Dr. Markus Heinz to take over the chair.

The D-A-CH group discussed the project of the 1st Workshop 'Applied History of Cartography' (seminar-lecture-practical training) to be held in Berlin in June 2003. This project has been very successfully realized 13–14 June 2003 as the starting point of new activities of the Commission in the Berlin Museum of Communication and the State Library at Berlin, Map Division.

The 12th Historical Cartographic Colloquium will take place in the Museum of Communication of Frankfurt-on-the-Main in September 2004.

Each Cartographic Historical Colloquium is documented by the respective proceedings edited by the chairman of the Commission and published by:

Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Zimmerstr. 26–27, D-10969 Berlin (vol. 1–6)
Stadtarchiv Duisburg, Karmelplatz 5, D-47049 (vol. 7)
Verlag Cartographica Helvetica, Untere Längmatt 9, CH-3280 Murten (vol. 8)
Kirschbaum Verlag, Siegfriedstr. 28, D-53179 Bonn (vol. 9–)

Vol. 8 came out in 2000, vol. 9 in 2002; vol. 10 is expected at the end of this year.[3]

Notes

See the report of the Bonn KHC in Kartographische Nachrichten 1 (2001) pp. 52–54 [and in Cartographica Helvetica]. [^]
See the report of the Nuremberg KHC in Kartographische Nachrichten 2 (2003) pp. 70–72 [and Cartographica Helvetica]. [^]
Vol. 10 came out in 2010. For details of the proceedings volumes see the list. [^]