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Welcome

Map Archive of Wojskowy Instytut Geograficzny 1919 - 1939

Non-commercial project with scans of maps and geographic materials published by the Wojskowy Instytut Geograficzny (WIG), 1919 - 1939.


medallion front medallion rear Recognition for our work. More here.


6th November 2024 - mapster update
06.12.2024_news_en

A (slightly) delayed update:

  • approx. 30 sheets of a 1:50,000 (GSGS 4529 Med 4) dated 1945 (Austria), a re-scaled copy of an Austrian and / or German 1:75,000 map. The series was published by the  'Survey Directorate AFHQ' (Allied Force Headquarters). As there's no modern index sheet for this series in mapster, you can use one from 1945 that's available underneath the list of sheets. The series is marked on the index sheet, in the bottom-right corner, in GREEN. For those interested in AFHQ history and structure, here's a pdf file.
  • a few British and US 1M map series covering Europe and Asia (AMS 1301 / AMS 5301, 5302 / GSGS 2555 / GSGS 4646), dated 1940 - 1965. There have been quite a few of series in this scale and they might be continued until today and we have no time to figure out details and nuances, they have 'provisionally' ended in one bag (list).
  • right in the same 'bag', about 20 sheets of a British small-scale (2.5M) map series  GSGS 4340 / HIND 1080) which covers Asia, though the sheets started from... the Black Sea. Some scans are doubles, but here and there, different publishing dates are available.
  • Himalaya, 3 (out of 4?) sheets, ‘Tibet and Adjacent Countries’, 1:2,5M.
  • ...and one (probably out of 2) sheets of ‘Highlands of Tibet and Surrounding Regions’. Interestingly, the map shows a dense network of railways, most of which no longer exist.

From the collection of Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde

All Leibniz-Institut fuer Laenderkunde maps, those scanned really well, are available only at 300 dpi.

From the collection of the University of Berkeley Library, unfortunately also at 300 dpi only:

As to the map type itself: German 1:50,000, under a code-names of Eol 50 (Ostland) and Esu 50 (Sowjetunion) based on a compilation of map sources: captured Polish maps by WIG, likewise Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian maps, but primarily, based on massive cache of Soviet 1:50,000 and 1:100,000 maps, additionally updated from German air photos from 1942-1944 and field reports. We don't know the extent of this map type, so when mapster index was drawn, the range was rather... excessive, stretching to Berlin in the west. No cler, original German index sheets are available (yet), we added what was at hand below the index sheets of single and quadruple sheets. Given the area covered by this map type, and number of war-time editions, estimated number of sheets could have easily run into a few thousands, or more. However, we do not expect to add any further sheets either this year - or the next either.
It needs to be acknowledged, that using this map type in mapster is difficult; firstly, because mapster database of place names does not extend to the east. Secondly, mapster index 'background maps' do not extend east of Poland either, so it's hard to identify individual map sheets against large terrain features, such as cities, rivers or large lakes. Thirdly, you can't see sheet names on the mapster Russland 1:50,000 map series. We will try to improve it somewhat by adding sheet names to the index, but please bear in mind it's over 700 German, Russian / Lithuanian / Ukrainian place-names. They need to be located, checked and entered into database manually, which is a very time-consuming process - we'll start from the larger towns / sheet titles.

3rd November 2024 - mapster update
1
A minor update in several categories:


9th October 2024 - mapster update
After a short break, a small update:
approx. 200 town plans, from Polona (National Library of Poland), digital collections, in the following categories:
- Central Europe
- GOP (Gornoslaski Okreg Przemyslowy, a heavily conurbated area of Silesia)
- a few town plans from the Baltics
- a town plan of Berlin, mid-19th century (only one plan, but please note it's a 200Mb, 600 dpi jpg file!)
- a few Russian town plans

For your information, adding town plans from Polona collection is takes a long time to complete, as it's a laborious proces: each file needs to be 'processed' manually, i.e. correct name, scale, publication date and call number need to be added to the file name, and then, all of this needs to be manually entered into our system, as there's no quick and easy way to convert all this information automatically. For reference, there's still about 200 - 400 town plans to add, mainly related to Central & Eastern Europe, plus a good few thousands individual maps at various scales which also need to be processed manually. This will take time.

Nevertheless, some things can be semi-automated, so we have addedd approx. 70 sheets of the Soviet 1:50,000 map, mostly dated around 1980s, the area is Kaliningrad Oblast.

3rd - 7th May 2024 - mapster down
All map files in mapster (igrek.amzp.pl) are (temporarily) unavailable, courtesy of our hosting provider who, from time to time, likes to keep us on our toes. It's a relatively minor technical problem though and the person who can fix it is very likely to do it next week.
An update: map files are back online, though it might take a couple of hours to have all of them available.
14th August 2023 - map update
An additional update for 1:42 000 (one-verst), approx. 40 sheets from one of our helpful users.
30th July 2023 - map update
A small update after a short break:
- approx. 200 - 300 sheets of Russian (and Soviet) 'one-verst maps' (1:42 000), mainly from the area of the Baltic states, showed up on our map lists already, but they never surfaced on our index sheet. It's quite possible it was due to some encoding error related to Cyrillic fonts (OUR fault!). Having 'added' those sheets to the index, we also took some time to fix various errors in this map series and addes some latin, historical (and current) place names. On top of which, we added several sheets from the digital library of Polona. As a matter of fact, majority of them were already available a few years ago courtesy of Humboldt University a few years ago, but those extra sheets are well-scanned, 600 dpi, and include a few 'new' editions too.
We do not expect the collection of 1:42 000 to grow soon, it might increase some time next year though.
- a few town plans from the same digital library ('Polona')
- one sheet of German 1:25,000 air-photomap (Bildplan), Wolsztyn (Wollstein) - courtesy, as usual, of Wydziałowe Archiwum Kartograficzne / Biblioteka Collegium Geographicum, Uniwersytet A. Mickiewicza, Poznań, Poland
8th July 2022 - map and literature update
2
  • As always, in the process of year-long spring-cleaning, we managed to consolidate, to some degree, various small-scale German maps of WW2. Ultimately, all irregular and joint editions of 'Ãœbersichtskarte' and 'Operationskarten', 1:1 mln scale, ended up in one list. We will not create an index sheet though. The maps were compiled for various military compaigns, so individual sheets overlap significantly. Some of those irregular editions are mentioned in the original index sheets which are available below the map list.

  • On the subject of index sheets, we have added another few dozen of original German index sheets, they can be found below individual map series.

  • And finally... courtesy of a person who wished to remain anonymous, we managed to scan unique brochurers called 'Kartenbriefe', issue 20 - 29, with an overview of developments and progres in German war-time military cartography. Some brochures are short of index sheets, as they were re-used by US and British post-WW2 military cartography services and libraries. Fortunately, we managed to link a few loose index sheets in those brochures to one of the last of them, i.e. Kartenbriefe Nr 31. So, for a completed package, we miss only the first few isues of Kartenbriefe. By the way, here's the shortcut to the pdf files. And, a marginal note on Kartenbriefe: the issue of April 1943 included samples of a German 1:25,000 experimental photo-map (Bildplankarte) from the area north of Kyiv, Sample 1, Sample 2. A few other sheets of this photo-maps are available on this list under the name of 'Bildplankarte'

7th June 2022 - map update
test An update from the collection of the digital National Library of Poland (polona.pl)
- approx. 250 sheets of the Reymann's topographische Special-Karte von Central-Europa (1:200 000), various editions, from 1830s up to 1910. Please note some files are VERY large, i.e. over 100 Mb!
- approx. 60 sheets of the Karte des westlichen Russlands (1:100 000) around 1910 - 1918
- approx. 40 sheets of the 'Topographische Uebersichtskarte des Deutschen Reiches', 1:200 000
- approx. 40 sheets of the Uebersichtskarte von Mitteleuropa), mainly WW2 editions
- several joint sheets of the same 1:300,000 maps, dated 1914 - 1916 (Some files are VERY large, i.e.100 - 400 Mb!)
- approx. 20 sheets of the German 1:25,000 map (Messtischblatt)
- a few German Kreiskarten and Umgebungskarten, 1:100,000 scale
- a few sheets of the Generalstabskarte / Karte des deutchen Reiches, 1:100,000
- a few German maps of the USSR, WW2 (Russland 1:100 000), and a few joint and single sheets of the Russland 1:50 000.
- a few German 1:500,000 maps (Weltkarte 1:500 000)
Generally, most of the sheets we already have had from other collections, but the new versions are all 600 dpi.
18th April 2022 - map update
1. Courtesy of our hosting provider and their tireless efforts to help us more and more, the main contact channnel with us, i.e. e-mail (info, etc.), will cease to be available, at least for some time (for urgent questions and problems, shoutbox, on the right-hand side, is available).
2. We have added several dozen town plans (Polish and Ukrainian):
- from the collection of Mr Hubisz: Jawor (Jauer), Warszawa, Bytom (Beuthen), and a German, WW2 plan of Żyrardow, dated mid-1944 (possibly the only plan I have seen where Herman Göring Strasse cuts across 1st May Street). There's also a German, WW2 copy of a pre-war, Polish 1:25,000 (Lemberg-Dublany), also dated 1944.
- a few dozen other town plans, from the collection of polona.pl - National Library of Poland.

5th March 2022 - Russian invasion of Ukraine
We would like to annouce that we will not share any mapping material, etc., related to the Russian attack on Ukraine that began 10 days ago. As to the invasion itself, we believe everybody with a bit of common sense knows best what to do about it.
24th February 2022 - an update
pl For a change, some 'literature' (overdue) - which today relates, somewhat, to the current grim developments, that is, the Russian invasion of Ukraine: the 'literature' here is two folders of the German, WW2 documents, which we received from Peter K. Clark, who passed away recently. The materials, marked as „Geheim!”, were prepared by the German engineering unit, Wehrgeologenstelle 16, and describe terrain and cross-country conditions alongside the rivers of Dniepr and Bug. It was the line, behind the German armies retreated in 1943/44.
Folders are available as pdfs. Because some maps are very large, the longest is over 2 m. long, and scanned at 600 dpi, the larger of the two pdf files is over 800 Mb. Therefore it takes patience to download, open and zoom in to see map details in those pdf files. For your convenience, the files are also available in smaller, more compact version, at 150 Mb and 80 Mb accordingly. Naturally, to read the manuscripts, you need to understand German. Page numbering is often dual and often contradictory, some pages might be missing, but all available ones have been scanned in the order they appear in the folders.
The files can be downloaded from the „Literature” page (approx. 3/4 down the page), where we have also included some sections of the British assessment inside the folders.
Also, several 1:50,000 maps and one 1:100 000 map have also been made available via Mapster index sheets.

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04/30/2024 17:10
I have tried to update my email - hope it works

04/30/2024 17:02
Any reason I can't get the Polish maps 1:100,000 for Miory, Dryswiaty etc? I get the 404 error instead. Frown

08/02/2023 00:50
Glad to see you back, Marek!

08/25/2022 15:09
Hey, Marek! Trying to access maps at your page "Other Central European Maps, via both Chrome and Opera browsers, I get the dialog box "File not found (404 error) If you think what you'r

01/22/2022 22:50
Hello: I do Polish Genealogy. I need a topo map of Poland with major cities which I’ve never been able to find on the WEB. It should show post partition Poland with an out line of pre-partition Pola

03/21/2020 14:55
What's up, Marek? What are you working on? Hope all is OK.

01/26/2019 14:42
Hi: Are there any other maps showing parishes such as: Andrzej Tomczak Siec parafialna Wojewoddztwa pomorskiego Okregu bytowskiego I leborskiego W drugiej polowie xvi wieku Skala 1:300. Thanks

12/04/2017 15:22
peut-on obtenir la carte détaillée de la frontière Est suite au traité de Brest-litovsk ? merci d'avance

09/10/2017 04:54
Can I get some guidance on the projection that WIG cartographers used on the 1 to 100,000 maps?

04/02/2017 23:15
osowiec