Antique map - Kiel 1853

Historical plan of the city of Kiel (Karte von der Stadt Kiel) in 1853: the seaport on the fjord, the old town, Kiel Castle, the Kleiner Kiel basin and Brunswik.

This plan shows the city of Kiel (Karte von der Stadt Kiel mit nächster Umgebung) in 1853. At the time, Kiel was an important city in the Duchy of Holstein, then in personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark, before being annexed by Prussia following the Second Schleswig War in 1864. Today, it is in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, of which it is the capital. Its population was around 15,000 in the mid-19th century, just before its tremendous growth with the establishment of the German navy.

Kiel's history is profoundly shaped by its strategic maritime location at the head of Kiel Fjord (Kieler Förde). Founded in the 13th century by Count Adolf IV of Schauenburg, the city is home to Christian-Albrechts University, founded in 1665. In 1853, the city was on the verge of becoming Germany's leading naval port, undergoing a major urban transformation with the arrival of shipyards and the expansion of its port and rail infrastructure.

Locations and neighborhoods shown:

• The Old Town (Altstadt) and the castle: Kiel's historic heart is enclosed on its original peninsula, with Kiel Castle (Kieler Schloss) overlooking the bay to the east.

• The Kleiner Kiel water basin: the historic basin of the Kleiner Kiel borders the Old Town to the west, surrounded by gardens and promenades.

• The harbor (Hafen) and the fjord: the vast expanse of the natural harbor (Hafen) and the shores of Kiel Fjord dominate the entire eastern part of the map.

• The suburb of Brunswik: to the north, the village-like, rural neighborhood of Brunswik appears along the shoreline.

• The railway line and station: the railway line coming from the south runs along the head of the fjord to serve Kiel station, marking the arrival of the Altona–Kiel railway, which opened in 1844.

• The surrounding farmland and countryside: a network of agricultural plots, country roads, mills, and waterways surrounds the urban core.

• Information panel and distances: in the upper right is a table calculating horizontal distances (Einige Trigonometrisch bebaute Horizontale Entfernungen), while the bottom of the map features an elegant title cartouche adorned with the city's coat of arms and the map scale.

Map details: this “Karte von der Stadt Kiel mit nächster Umgebung,” at a scale of 1:12,000, is an exquisitely detailed engraving focused on terrain and hydrography. Rendered in black and white with meticulous shading (cartographic hachures) to depict the elevation changes along the coast, it elegantly portrays the urban blocks and rural land divisions. A graphic scale in Danish/German feet (Maaßstab von 4000 Hamburger Fuß) appears at the bottom of the frame.

In brief: for anyone interested in the history of Schleswig-Holstein, the maritime heritage of the Baltic Sea, the rise of German ports, or 19th-century engraved cartography, this plan offers an exceptional glimpse of Kiel before its great industrial expansion.

What area does this map of Kiel cover? It covers the city of Kiel and its immediate surroundings: the harbor and fjord to the east, the Old Town and Kleiner Kiel in the center, the suburb of Brunswik to the north, as well as the agricultural plain and railway lines to the south and west.

In what year was this map published? This map was published in 1853 (by Th. Thalbitzer).

Technical section Reproduction of the “Karte von der Stadt Kiel mit nächster Umgebung,” drawn in 1853 by Th. Thalbitzer at a scale of 1:12,000.

Printed on 200 g/m² textured fine-art paper. Portrait orientation, standard sizes 50x70 and 70x100: easy to frame.