Atlas of the Great Elector Facsimile Edition

The Atlas of the Great Elector, also known as the Mauritius Atlas, is one of the most imposing cartographic books of the seventeenth century. Assembled in 1664 by Johann Moritz, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, and presented to Friedrich Wilhelm, the Great Elector of Brandenburg, it embodies the political reach, intellectual ambition, and visual magnificence of early modern mapmaking. Preserved today in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, the atlas remains a monument to the Dutch cartographic tradition at its height.

A Gift of Sovereignty and Knowledge

Conceived as a princely gift, the atlas was intended not merely for consultation but for display. Its massive scale—measuring approximately 1.7 × 2.2 meters when open and weighing about 125 kilograms—transforms geography into ceremonial presence. The oak binding, covered in leather and fitted with elaborate brass mounts and clasps, bears the arms of Johann Moritz, linking cartographic knowledge with dynastic identity and courtly magnificence.

The World on Colored Copperplates

The volume contains 53 maps, including 35 double-page wall maps and three plates with eighteen nautical charts. Most are colored copper engravings, many produced by leading Amsterdam mapmakers, especially Joan Blaeu, with contributions associated with figures such as Frederik de Wit, Hessel Gerritsz, Josua van den Ende, and Gerard Coeck. Their rich coloring, ornate cartouches, coats of arms, and symbolic imagery reflect the decorative language of maps designed for elite interiors.

An Early Modern Vision of the Globe

Beginning with world maps and moving through Europe, Brandenburg, Prussia, Asia, Africa, America, and maritime charts, the atlas arranges geography as both knowledge and power. It reveals a world newly ordered by commerce, diplomacy, and imperial imagination. More than a book of maps, the Atlas of the Great Elector is a theater of the earth, where science, artistry, and sovereignty meet on a monumental scale.