The 'Bayerische Landtafeln' by Philipp Apian

In 1554 Apian was commissioned by Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria to chart Bavaria. After seven years of land surveying Apian created an about 6 x 6 meter large map of 'Old Bavaria' on a scale of 1:45.000, completed in 1563. After this large map Jost Amman, Hieronymus Wolff und Wolf Strauß made 24 woodcuts on a scale of 1:144.000, which were published by Apian in his own printing house:

Bairische Landtaflen, XXIIII. [Gewidmet] Alberto Com. Palatino Rheni [= Herzog Albrecht V. von Bayern]. Darinnen das Hochloeblich Furstenthumb Obern unnd Nidern Bayrn sambt der Obern Pfaltz, Ertz unnd Stifft Saltzburg, Eichstet unnd andern mehrern anstossenden Herschafften mit vleiß beschriben und in druck gegeben Durch Philippum Apianum. Ingolstadt, 1568. Woodcut in 24 parts on 22 plates, Overall-size of the map 156 x 159 cm, each part 43 x 33 cm.

This early magnum opus of Bavarian cartography is still best characterised by the eulogy of Max Grasser made in 1903: „Die ersten durch Philipp Apian (1531-1589) vollzogenen Landes-Auflage muss nachgerühmt werden, dass zu seiner Zeit, in welcher sämtliche übrigen Staaten kaum primitive Karten besaßen, dieselbe das vollendeteste Kartenwerk nicht nur ihrer Epoche sondern auf Jahrhunderte hinaus, hervorgebracht hat…“

In 1569 Apian had to leave Bavaria because he remained to be a convinced protestant. He moved with his printing office and his printing blocks to Tübingen, where lived and worked as a lecturer for 14 years. Therefore Duke Albrecht V had to reissue the 'Bayerische Landtafeln' for representation reasons. For this he commissioned Peter Weiner in1576. Weiner (Weinerius) made copper engravings, which he printed and published under his name in 1579, very true to the original woodcuts.

The copper engravings made by Peter Weiner are full-scale replica of the woodcuts by Philipp Apian. They show a few more town names and, due to the technique of copper engraving, the writings are more gentle. The last 'Landtafel' (24) shows, instead of the coat of arms of Apian's family, a striding Justitia with a lion holding the Bavarian coat of arms.

References:
Philipp Apian und die Kartographie der Renaissance, Anton H. Konrad Verlag. 1989.
Bayerische Landesbibliothek online: Die Vermessung Bayerns – 450 Jahre Philipp Apians Große Karte. Exhibition 2013/14.

We can offer you the single maps of the 'Bayerische Landtafeln' by Peter Weiner after Philipp Apian from the first edition, printed in Munich 1579. The 22 splendid Renaissance maps are in a perfect condition and skilfully coloured by hand in the original style. Size of each map 43 x 33 cm.

We can also offer you a complete uncoloured set of the 'Bayerische Landtafel' by Peter Weiner on request.

In the following we show you pictures of all offered hand-coloured maps. A detailed description and enlarged pictures a get by clicking on the title or 'Read more' button of each map.