In 1659, the famous mapmaker Joan Blaeu published his world atlas Tooneel des Aardrycks [Display of the Realm of Earth]. The archives in Leiden have made their atlas available online.
This week we are looking at Blaeu’s map of Gelderland, oriented with the north towards the right. We can see the major rivers Rhine [Rijn in Dutch, “Rhenus fluvius” on the map], Meuse [Maas in Dutch, “Mase fluvius” on the map], Waal [“Waal flu.”], and IJssel [“Yssel flu.” ]. Most of Gelderland’s most prosperous cities are located along these rivers, including Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Zutphen. See the Gelderland research guide for more information.
Map of the Duchy of Gelre and the County of Zutphen, 1659. Credits: Joan Blaeu, imaged at Erfgoed Leiden (public domain)
About Yvette Hoitink
