Map Collection

About

The Map Collection offers approximately 55,000 topographic and thematic maps from the 16th to the 21st centuries as well as 9,300 vertical aerial photographs taken between 1942 and 1945 as reference holdings. The geographical focus lies on the areas of today’s states of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, whilst adjoining regions are also covered in order to guarantee content coherence.

Signet save old and new maps

Wherever you find maps you will no longer use, please contact us. We are happy to buy them or to gratefully receive these maps as a gift, no matter what kind of map: a single topographic map sheet, a creased city map from the hotel reception desk or a touring plan of your last trip through Central and Eastern Europe.
Every map is worth to be saved!

For users

Most of the holdings may be searched online. If you need further advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.

» Search in the Map Catalogue

Some maps and vertical aerial photographs can already be viewed and downloaded from the map catalogue. You can order scans of the others. In the context of Open access, a free quota is available to you per quarter. The holdings of the map collection can also be viewed in the study hall of the scientific collections. Therefor please register in advance, bearing in mind the consultation time.

Service

We will be pleased to advise you on the holdings of the map collection, to help you with searching databases and to provide reproductions. More extensive research by Institute staff is available for a fee and is charged by the time taken.

You can order analogue and digital copies of the masters in our collection. As part of Open access, we provide you with up to 10 scans in TIF file format free of charge per quarter. If the scans have already been created, the free quota even includes 20 copies. The other costs can be found in the Herder Institute’s schedule of fees.