Map of Saxe-Hildburghausen
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This square map written in Latin and German depicts the region of Saxe-Hildburghausen, what is today the District of Hildburghausen in south-western Germany, as noted by the large cartouche in the upper left corner. The top of the cartouche contains five cherubs around the initials EF topped with a crown. EF likely stands for Ernst Fredrick II, the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen at the time of this map’s production (around 1730). Fredrick’s name is written below the emblem in its Latin form: Ernesto Friderico.
The cartouche also includes the name of the map-maker, Ioannes Bapt. Homann, or Johann Baptist Homann. In 1664 Homann moved to Nuremberg and began a publishing house that specialized in map making. Homann’s publishing firm would become a major producer for central and northern Europe, with the maps circulating widely due to their quality, attractiveness, and relatively low cost.
The bottom left corner of the map contains an “explanation of the symbols” (Erklärung der Zeichen) which records what each symbol represents. This list is contained within an elaborate pedestal topped with the crest of the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a cherub trumpeter, as well as cannons, flags, and drums; all symbols of warfare.
The bottom right corner contains a plan for the Residenzstadt of Hildburghausen (Plan der Hoch Fürstlichen Residenz-Stadt Hildburghausen). This plan includes a city view, as well as plans for an elaborate garden, not yet complete. Additionally, the town is surrounded by smaller buildings and crops. The plan includes a numbered key to the various buildings both within and outside the Residenzstadt. The desire of Dukes, Princes, and other Imperial leaders of the German regions in this period to have more grandiose administrative-military centers in the form of Residenzstadts drove much of the urban mapping of this period.
Depicted in the remaining space, the map's rendering of Saxe-Hildburghausen includes mountains, trees, rivers, and towns, as well as mills (eine Mühl), zoos (ein Thier Garten), and ferries (ein Fähre). There are spaces of this region that are marked with two different colors. There are two pink spaces that are not connected and lie on the left and right sides of the map, while the four yellow regions lie in the center and each cardinal direction. The colors were likely added using transparent water color wash. Using color to illuminate maps was common within German practice, where it was used to denote religious areas, administrative regions, or countries. While it is unclear what the colors on this map record, the usage of them fits within a larger German tradition. (Riley Gibson 2026)
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References
Edney, Matthew H. “German States.” In The History of Cartography vol. 4, part 1, Cartography in the European Enlightenment, ed. Matthew H. Edney and Mary Sponberg Pedley. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2019.
Heinz, Markus. “Homman Family.” In The History of Cartography vol. 4, part 1, Cartography in the European Enlightenment, ed. Matthew H. Edney and Mary Sponberg Pedley. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2019.
Van Duzer, Chet. Frames That Speak. 1st ed. Vol. 2. Boston: BRILL, 2023.
Verdier, Nicolas, Jean-Marc Besse. “Color and Cartography.” In The History of Cartography vol. 4, part 1, Cartography in the European Enlightenment, ed. Matthew H. Edney and Mary Sponberg Pedley. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2019.