First edition
Bratislava by Georg Braun & Frans Hogenberg. 1588
CARTOUCHE: Posonium, also called Pressburg, Hungarian city.
COMMENTARY BY BRAUN (on verso): "This is an old and beautiful city far superior to any other city in Austria, not only in its fortunate situation but also because of the way of life there and the bracing climate. The city is surrounded by hills covered with vineyards and many forests. That is why the sun does not allow the wine here to become too sweet. Near the outskirts, there is a castle on a high hill, which defends the city from its enemies and ensures that it continues in due obeisance to and venerates its lawful rulers. Below it flows the famous River Danube, through verdant meadows, gardens and paddock, in which flocks of sheep, chamois, deer and other game are seen to disport themselves."
This is a view from a highly raised vantage point looking from the south to the city on the north bank of the Danube, with the Little Carpathians rising in the background. On the left is the castle on a hill with the city fringing its foot. St Martin's cathedral, its tower represented on a disproportionately small scale, is on the western fringes of the moderately fortified city. Bratislava (German Pressburg) almost continuously belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary from the early 10th century until 1918. A market town grew below an old castle, and numerous German colonists settled here in 1241. After much of Hungary's territory and capital, Buda (Ofen) fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1526, and Bratislava was used as the capital in the 18th century. The Hungarian Habsburgs were crowned in St Martin's between 1563 and 1830. In 1918, Bratislava was ceded to the new Republic of Czechoslovakia; since 1993, it has been the capital of Slovakia. (Taschen)
Braun G. & Hogenberg F. and the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.
The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, also known as the 'Braun & Hogenberg', is a six-volume town atlas and the most excellent book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully coloured. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun, a skilled writer, wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso. Many plates were engraved after the original drawings of a professional artist, Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600). The first volume was published in Latin in 1572 and the sixth in 1617. Frans Hogenberg, a talented engraver, created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel made those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographers Daniel Freese and Heinrich Rantzau, who provided valuable geographical information. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used as references. Translations appeared in German and French, making the atlas accessible to a wider audience.
Since its original publication of volume 1 in 1572, the Civitates Orbis Terrarum has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography. The first volume was followed by seven more editions in 1575, 1577, 1582, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1612. Vol.2, initially released in 1575, saw subsequent editions in 1597 and 1612. The subsequent volumes, each a treasure trove of historical insights, graced the world in 1581, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1606. The German translation of the first volume, a testament to its widespread appeal, debuted in 1574, followed by the French edition in 1575.
Several printers were involved: Theodor Graminaeus, Heinrich von Aich, Gottfried von Kempen, Johannis Sinniger, Bertram Buchholtz, and Peter von Brachel, all of whom worked in Cologne.
Georg Braun (1541-1622)
Georg Braun, the author of the text accompanying the plans and views in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, was born in Cologne in 1541. After his studies in Cologne, he entered the Jesuit Order as a novice, indicating his commitment to learning and intellectual pursuits. In 1561, he obtained his bachelor's degree; in 1562, he received his Magister Artium, further demonstrating his academic achievements. Although he left the Jesuit Order, he continued his studies in theology, gaining a licentiate in theology. His theological background likely influenced the content and tone of the text in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, adding a unique perspective to the work.
Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590)
Frans Hogenberg was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg.
By the end of the 1560s, Frans Hogenberg was employed upon Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in 1570; he is named an engraver of numerous maps. In 1568, he was banned from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva and travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. He immediately embarked on his two most important works, the Civitates, published in 1572 and the Geschichtsblätter, which appeared in several series from 1569 until about 1587.
Thanks to large-scale projects like the Geschichtsblätter and the Civitates, Hogenberg's social circumstances improved with each passing year. He died as a wealthy man in Cologne in 1590.
Pressburg - Posonium vel Pisonium vt Lazius Hungariae urbs.
Item Number: 30949 new Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > Central Europe
Bratislava by Georg Braun & Frans Hogenberg.
Title: Pressburg - Posonium vel Pisonium vt Lazius Hungariae urbs.
Date of the first edition: 1588.
Date of this map: 1588.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Image size: 295 x 490mm (11.61 x 19.29 inches).
Sheet size: 400 x 525mm (15.75 x 20.67 inches).
Verso: Latin text.
Condition: Original coloured, excellent.
Condition Rating: A+.
From: Liber Quartus Urbium Praecipuarum Totius Mundi. Cologne, 1588. (Koeman, B&H4, Van der Krogt 4, 41:1.4)
CARTOUCHE: Posonium, also called Pressburg, Hungarian city.
COMMENTARY BY BRAUN (on verso): "This is an old and beautiful city far superior to any other city in Austria, not only in its fortunate situation but also because of the way of life there and the bracing climate. The city is surrounded by hills covered with vineyards and many forests. That is why the sun does not allow the wine here to become too sweet. Near the outskirts, there is a castle on a high hill, which defends the city from its enemies and ensures that it continues in due obeisance to and venerates its lawful rulers. Below it flows the famous River Danube, through verdant meadows, gardens and paddock, in which flocks of sheep, chamois, deer and other game are seen to disport themselves."
This is a view from a highly raised vantage point looking from the south to the city on the north bank of the Danube, with the Little Carpathians rising in the background. On the left is the castle on a hill with the city fringing its foot. St Martin's cathedral, its tower represented on a disproportionately small scale, is on the western fringes of the moderately fortified city. Bratislava (German Pressburg) almost continuously belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary from the early 10th century until 1918. A market town grew below an old castle, and numerous German colonists settled here in 1241. After much of Hungary's territory and capital, Buda (Ofen) fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1526, and Bratislava was used as the capital in the 18th century. The Hungarian Habsburgs were crowned in St Martin's between 1563 and 1830. In 1918, Bratislava was ceded to the new Republic of Czechoslovakia; since 1993, it has been the capital of Slovakia. (Taschen)
Braun G. & Hogenberg F. and the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.
The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, also known as the 'Braun & Hogenberg', is a six-volume town atlas and the most excellent book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully coloured. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun, a skilled writer, wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso. Many plates were engraved after the original drawings of a professional artist, Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600). The first volume was published in Latin in 1572 and the sixth in 1617. Frans Hogenberg, a talented engraver, created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel made those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographers Daniel Freese and Heinrich Rantzau, who provided valuable geographical information. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used as references. Translations appeared in German and French, making the atlas accessible to a wider audience.
Since its original publication of volume 1 in 1572, the Civitates Orbis Terrarum has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography. The first volume was followed by seven more editions in 1575, 1577, 1582, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1612. Vol.2, initially released in 1575, saw subsequent editions in 1597 and 1612. The subsequent volumes, each a treasure trove of historical insights, graced the world in 1581, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1606. The German translation of the first volume, a testament to its widespread appeal, debuted in 1574, followed by the French edition in 1575.
Several printers were involved: Theodor Graminaeus, Heinrich von Aich, Gottfried von Kempen, Johannis Sinniger, Bertram Buchholtz, and Peter von Brachel, all of whom worked in Cologne.
Georg Braun (1541-1622)
Georg Braun, the author of the text accompanying the plans and views in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, was born in Cologne in 1541. After his studies in Cologne, he entered the Jesuit Order as a novice, indicating his commitment to learning and intellectual pursuits. In 1561, he obtained his bachelor's degree; in 1562, he received his Magister Artium, further demonstrating his academic achievements. Although he left the Jesuit Order, he continued his studies in theology, gaining a licentiate in theology. His theological background likely influenced the content and tone of the text in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, adding a unique perspective to the work.
Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590)
Frans Hogenberg was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg.
By the end of the 1560s, Frans Hogenberg was employed upon Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in 1570; he is named an engraver of numerous maps. In 1568, he was banned from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva and travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. He immediately embarked on his two most important works, the Civitates, published in 1572 and the Geschichtsblätter, which appeared in several series from 1569 until about 1587.
Thanks to large-scale projects like the Geschichtsblätter and the Civitates, Hogenberg's social circumstances improved with each passing year. He died as a wealthy man in Cologne in 1590.