From Historic Cartography to Historical Mapping: Creating a Digital Edition of the Gaul/Raczyński Map of Greater Poland (1807−1812)

Abstract

The author aims to propose a model digital edition of historic maps using as an example the Gaul/Raczyński map (1807–1812). The digital editions of historic maps elaborated so far vary greatly, from map facsimiles without editorial interference, through georeferenced and mosaicked maps and, finally, to spatial databases. Very rarely they are supplemented with a proper source commentary and editorial work documentation. So far, there has been no edition combining all the above. Thus, the proposed edition connects all those functionalities, illustrating the result with an example of a very interesting nineteenth-century topographical map of part of Greater Poland. It can serve as a starting point for an extensive discussion on the role of historic maps in historical cartography in the digital era.