Last check: 04/27/2024 Slap count: 4 Last checked ID: 16777215
Literature
eLiterature
A
selection of documents, books, etc. from 1920s - 1940s, and more modern,
in Polish and other languages. Please be advised: a selection of
documents, books, etc. from 1920s - 1940s, and more modern, in Polish
and other languages. Please note that some German WW2 publications use
Fraktura type (so-called Gothic font).
Latest
update: 07.08.2022 New items are
marked in dark red font Publications in Polish
Items published by W.I.G., or in close co-operation with WIG
K.Stefczyk Litwa. Szkic
wojskowo-geograf. i statystyczny.
A text from a periodical “Bellona” (XXXIV, 1929) 33 MB,
pdf. Includes a general map of Lithuania. The map will also be
available separately, in mapster (higher resolution)
ZNAKI TOPOGRAFICZNE A large
and probably most complete set of topographic symbols used,
primarily in 1:25,000 WIGs in 1930s can be found in a 1931
publication available below („Wzory i objaśnienia znaków
topograficznych map…” Topo signs in earlier maps, Polish,
Russian, Austro-Hungarian and German, can be found in the
publications from 1920s. (See below) or in specific brochures,
e.g. “„… map austriackich, niemieckich i rosyjskich”).
Additional information on earlier maps can be found (in Polish) in
a 1912 guide on Austrian maps: “Jak czytać
austryackie mapy wojskowe”, available below.
BIBLJOTEKA SŁUŻBY GEOGRAFICZNEJ
publishe by a geographical section of the Society for Military
Knowledge (and WIG). Books and brochures on geographic and
military subjects.
J.
Słomczyński "POLSKIE MAPY WOJSKOWE"
- a copy of an article, published separately,
originally in “Wiadomości Służby Geograficznej”
(3/1934) courtesy of the Library of
Congress, USA L.
Bobrowicz "TRIANGULATOR NA POLESIU"
- a copy of an article (3/1936) from the
“Wiadomości Służby Geograficznej” courtesy of the Library of
Congress, USA
J.
Michalowski, T. Sikorski Katalog punktów
trygonometrycznych RP 1932
“Catalogue of trigonometric points in Poland”. A
list of altitude points in pre-WW2 Poland, i.e.
highest buildings, church spires, local peaks,
including their lon / lat coordinates. Please
note: this is NOT a list of towns and villages
in pre-WW2 Poland.
[PDF 33Mb, 1932 r]
X. H. Libinski
T.J. JAK CZYTAĆ AUSTRYACKIE MAPY WOJSKOWE
(1912), 63 MB, pdf. [OCR]
Quite detailed guidebook on how to read
(interpret) Austro-Hungarian maps, written in
a somewhat specific, archaic Polish. Includes
detailed explanation of main map symbols used
on Austrian maps and map samples.
L. SAWICKI
PRZYCZYNKI DO BIBLJOGRAFII KARTOGRAFICZNEJ
ZIEM POLSKICH (1920) 27 Mb, pdf. [OCR] A detailed “stock
take” in the Kriegsarchiv, Vienna, a listing
and description of all (identified) maps and
plans of broadly understood “Polish lands”. (courtesy
of the digital library of the Polish Academy
of Sciences)
B.
Olszewicz POLSKA KARTOGRAFJA WOJSKOWA (ZARYS
HISTORYCZNY), 1921 r.
[PDF, 113 Mb] Flagship book on the
development of Polish military cartography by
1918. Worth reading if only to find out what
other authors, including modern ones, refer
to.
PLANY
PRZEGLąDOWE MIAST POLSKICH[OCR]
Pdf, 116 Mb,
courtesy of Mr Ryszard Hubisz. The volumes
includes 99 plans of mid-size and small towns,
approx. 1:6,000 scale, drawn from (mainly)
detailed town plans from 18th - 20th century.
Although the plans do not include street
names, it’s a valuable publication, as it
shows historical layout of smaller towns in
the past.
A translation (of a section) of an article by
the head of German military cartography, gen.
Hemmerich on Polish Cartographic Service
(WIG). Original materials (Mitteilungen
des Chefs des Kriegs-Karten- und
Vermessungwesens) should be made
available by end of 2018 (see German documents on this page) Gerlach
Hemmerich: „Przygotowanie kartograficzne
państw nieprzyjacielskich do obecnej
wojny” - translation into
Polish (docx).
Polish-Lithuanian phrasebook (made available
in order to deepen the traditionally superb
neighbourly relations between Poles and
Lithuanians). Worth leafing through, if only
to pause over the subjects and air of the
small talk 100 years ago: „I’ll
be hosting the whole local intelligentsia, do
come to visit, you’ll acquaint yourselves. The
parson will be there, and so will the curate
(young), the landlord, three educated maidens,
the doctor, the pharmacist, two teachers and a
few of my friends...” ROZMÓWKI
POLSKO-LITEWSKIE
[11.6 Mb, PDF] A guidebook for the migrants from Eastern
Europe to the US at the turn of 19/20th
century. Written in archaic Polish. Contains a
mix of highly practical information, from how
to remove stains (and more) to the oath to the
US constitution (translated into Polish)>
All this mixed with rather pushy “message from
the sponsor” of the publication, extolling to
high heaven the benefits of saving and
multiplying one's savings - kept, naturally,
with the sponsoring institution. Poradnik ogólny
dla Polaków w Ameryce [OCR]
A Guide to North-East Poland. Full text,
including maps, but no OCR. Town plans
included in the guidebook are also available
in the mapster section with town plans of
Eastern Europe (bottom of the list). Some
information about the guide book can be found
(in Polish) in the FORUM.
Ver 1.0 [43.3 Mb]. Przewodnik
po Polsce w 4 tomach. Tom I - Polska
Północno-Wschodnia
PLAN
LWOWA ZE SKOROWIDZEM ULIC
(1921) - please note - the town plan itself is
missing! from the library of Wydział
Geografii i Studiów Regionalnych Uniwersyetu
Warszawskiego Вильна въ
Карманѣ (1915)
Guidebook to Wilno / Vilna in Russian
(Courtesy of the Library of Congress, USA).
Town plan from the guidebook is also available
in Mapster.
"Zaolzie 1938” - a few maps by WIG (cutouts in
1:100,000 and 1:300,000 scale) which show the
area of Czechoslovakia annexed in 1938 by
Poland. Also, a few documents from the
periodical „Wiadomości Służby Geograficznej”
(1938) on the subject. Files in a zip format.
Zaolzie
1938 [approx. 22 Mb]
ATLAS LOTNISK
POLSKICH (1933) [OCR] Atlas of Polish
Airfields - information on (some)
airfields in pre-WW2 Poland, including map
sections in 1:25,000 and 1:25,000 maps. (Courtesy the “Armory” -
a digital library of the Central Military
Library, Warsaw)
3 volumes of
an unfinished work which, according
to wikipedia.pl, „… presents the
history of toponymy of modern,
north-western Poland and
north-eastern Germany”.After the end
of WW2, the resource was used by the
Polish Komisja ds. Ustalania Nazw
Miejscowości (The Commission for the
Determination of Place Names). Probably
the most important and influential
work on the subject of toponymy of
the area.Includes 1:300 000
maps.More information about the
author can be found in wikipedia.pl
Courtesy of Katedra Geologii i
Geografii Uniwersytetu im. A.
Mickiewicza, Poznan. Adama
Mickiewicza w Poznaniu.[OCR] ATLAS
NAZW GEOGRAFICZNYCH
SLOWIANSZCZYZNY ZACHODNIEJ
ZESZYT I (42 Mb, pdf) ATLAS
NAZW GEOGRAFICZNYCH
SLOWIANSZCZYZNY ZACHODNIEJ
ZESZYT IIA (76 Mb,
pdf) ATLAS
NAZW GEOGRAFICZNYCH
SLOWIANSZCZYZNY ZACHODNIEJ
ZESZYT IIB (36 Mb,
pdf) Publication by the Rada
Portu i Drog Wodnych w Gdansku
(Ausschuss für den Hafen und die
Wasserwege von Danzig), in Polish
(Polish and German-language variants
were published between 1921 - 1939,
possibly even yearly). Includes
interesting stats, photos and two
plans of the port of Danzig, which
are also available, separately, in
Mapster. [OCR] Port
Gdański [147 MB]
Propaganda
publication from 1946 showing the
benefits gained by Poland from
having lost the “Eastern
territories” - „Kresów” to the
Soviet Union. F.
FIEDLER W SPRAWIE GRANIC
WSCHODNICH (1946).
24 Mb, [OCR] Modern
publications in Polish
1931 volume on the work of the
German Reichsamt fuer Landesaufnahme
(RfL), including descriptions and
lists of the most popular German map
series (KdwR, KDR, Messtischblatt,
etc.). The files does not include
map cutouts and photographs. Pdf
variant with no figures and map
cutouts (small) [13 Mb, PDF] Das
Reichsamt für Landesaufnahme und
seine Kartenwerke,
1934
Translations
of Polish articles on a range of
survey and cartography topics, date
uncertain, either in late 1930s, or
already after the outbreak of WW2.
Translation of the introduction to
the Catalogue of Altitude Points.
Polish original, i.e. the whole
volume, dated 1939, is available
above, among the Polish documents.
After the war the translations were
captured in the British occupation
zone of Germany and used until 1960s
by the Directorate of Military
Survey. Polish original, i.e. the
whole volume, dated 1939, is
available above, among the Polish
documents. Hoehenverzeichnis
der Festpunkte des polnischen
Nivellementsgrundnetzes 1939
Reichsamt fuer Landesaufnahme -
Mitteilungen (German
equivalent of Polish “Wiadomości
Służby Geograficznej”, published by
Reichsamt fuer Landesaufnahme).
KARTENZEICHEN
FÜR
MILITÄRGEOGRAPHISCHE
KARTEN
(Topographic symbols used
military-geographic
(Mil-Geo) maps .
1944, 30 Mb, pdf.) (Scanned
version, while
previously we only had
access to photos)
Lithuania
and Klaipėda area: Militärgeographische
Beschreibung von
Litauen und dem
Memelgebiet,
15.Februar 1939 -
„Military &
geographical Description
of Lithuania and the
Memel Area, 15 February
1939 (on 22 March, the
Memel Area was annexed
by III Reich). Please
note that almost all the
text is in Fraktur,
sometimes called
“Gothic” font The
publication contains
some pictures,
blueprints (bridges). No
maps in this version,
the two maps attached to
the back cover will be
scanned in the next few
months and made
available (one of them
is large, in colour, in
1:600 000 scale). The
publication contains
some pictures,
blueprints (bridges). No
maps in this version,
the two maps attached to
the back cover will be
scanned in the next few
months and made
available (one of them
is large, in colour, in
1:600 000 scale). The
document contains
interesting hand-written
notes on when it was
captured by US Military
(“captured 28th May 46”)
and the subsequent
“road-shows” the book
was used for, until
mid-1950s. File size: 40
Mb
Mil-geo
Beschreibung von
Polen
(Abgeschlossen
01.07.1939)- „Mil-geo
description of
Poland”, up to . 1st
July1939 An important
document on German
plans for an invasion
of Poland. (Fall
Weiß). Some maps and
plans attached to this
publication are
available in the map
and town plan section
of Mapster (German
maps and plans dated
1939). Large
file, pdf, approx. 220
Mb. A smaller variant
(57 Mb) is available
below: Mil-geo
Beschreibung von
Polen (Smaller
file, 57 MB)
Militärgeographische
Angaben über
das
Europaeische
Russland
Weissrussland
Bildheft -
A section of the
„Mil.-Geo
Angaben
Russland” from
1941, prepared
for the upcoming
Fall Barbarossa.
An element of
Mil.-Geo Angaben
Russland, a
picture book
with several
dozens of images
from Belarus
(including the
parts of eastern
Poland annexed
by the Soviet
Union in 1939).
Interesting
pictures (towns
and countryside,
transportation,
natural
obstacles,
population,
etc.). 1941.
[29.6 Mb]
MITTEILUNGEN
des Chefs des
Kriegs-Karten-und-Vermessungswesens
German,
military
equivalent of
Polish
“Wiadomości
Służby
Geograficznej”,
published
during WW2 as
a monthly. We
will try to
scan all the
missing issues
of this
periodical.
Kartenbriefe
- this vague
title
(literally:
“Notes /
Information on
maps”) refers
to brochures
by the German
military
cartography
service
listing their
progress in
various map
types, e.g.
map types,
updates, index
sheets, etc.).
Once the
materials were
captured in
Germany by
British and
American
forces, they
were re-used,
particularly
in times of
the cold war,
hence some
index sheets
are missing.
We will
attempt to
identify and
scan them if
found
elsewhere.
Please note
that the
publications
were marked as
“Geheim”
(secret), and
published in a
very low
number of
copies, so it
might be very
hard to find
and scan
missing
issues.
A
review of
Polish and
Soviet
cartographic
materials and
their German
equivalents,
as of November
1940. Brochure
prepared for
the upcoming
German attack
on the Soviet
Union in 1941.
The
publication is
a cross
between a
“Planheft” and
a “Vademecum”
publication.
The
Kartenwerke...
Includes an
interesting,
though not
very clear
index sheet
for the
(available)
1:25,000
Polish (WIG)
maps.
Published by:
Armeeoberkommando
4. Some
information
about Armee 4
can be found,
in English HERE. Polnische
und Russische
Kartenwerke.
Stand November
1940 [37.5
Mb, PDF] Polnische
und Russische
Kartenwerke.
Stand November
1940
[13,5 Mb, PDF]
Another,
almost
identical
overview of
Polish and
Soviet
cartographic
materials and
their German
equivalent
works, this
time updated
for March
1941,
published by:
Armeeoberkommando
4. Polnische
und Russische
Kartenwerke.
Stand November
1941 [41.3
Mb, PDF] Polnische
und Russische
Kartenwerke.
Stand März
1941
[18 Mb, PDF]
A volume with
a summary of
cartography of
the countries
east of 3rd
Reich, or
those already
conquered by
Germany.
Includes
interesting
map samples in
various
scales, and
index sheets.
Please note
that, as
before, the
font is
Fraktur
(so-called
“Gothic” font) Vademecum
Ost 1940 v.1.0
43 Mb, pdf
"Verzeichnis
der
Deklinationswerte
für das
Gebiet des
ehemaligen
Staates Polen
und
Isogenenkarte;
Jahresmittelwerte
1941"
Kr. Kart. u.
Verm. Amt
Warschau (1942) courtesy
of the Library
of Congress,
USA
• German
“Planheft”
publications.
Reference
volumes with
some
information
and
comprehensive
collections of
index sheets
to all maps
series of a
given area or
a country.
They date back
to approx.
1935 (1st
edition of
Planheft
Polen), but as
those early
editions were
superseded by
more current
ones, and
probably
destroyed,
what is
available is,
typically,
dated 1940 -
1944.
A large
collection of
index sheets
on various
maps types,
east of the
3rd Reich.
However, the
“east” in this
case is a very
wide area,
from
Scandinavia,
through the
Baltic States,
Poland, Soviet
Union,
Romania, as
far south-east
as Turkey and
Palestine. Please
be advised: -
a large file
(65 Mb),
but the index
sheets are of
good quality.
Text in
Fraktura font. Planheft
Übersicht Ost
1941
Index sheets
of German maps
covering the
Area of the
Soviet Union
(and
elsewhere), in
scales from
1:25,000 right
up to 1:4 M.
It also shows
index sheets
of Soviet map
coverage of
Central Europe
(this
information is
far from
correct as, by
the time the
Planheft went
to print,
Germans had
only captured
some of the
Soviet maps
and the full
extent of
Soviet
cartography of
Europe was not
known). The
Planheft also
includes
40-page long
guide to map
symbols used
on Soviet
maps.
The last
edition of
this
publication,
planned for
mid-1944,
which would
probably be
much more
informative,
was either not
printed, or
destroyed
shortly after
it went to
print, as no
copies are
known to
survive the
war. Planheft
RUSSLAND 2
Ausgabe X.42
[84 Mb] Planheft
RUSSLAND 2
Ausgabe X.42
[18.5 Mb]
A summary of
information on
Polish and
German
cartography of
Central Europe
by mid-1944.
Very
interesting
information
and index
sheets of map
types in use,
which
demonstrate
the scope of
progress of
German work in
cartography.
It is also a
graphic
stock-take of
which Polish
maps fell into
German hands
after the fall
of Poland in
1939 (WIG maps
in 1:25,000 -
1:100,000).
This
information
might be
particularly
useful to
those users
who want to
find out if a
specific sheet
of 1:25,000
was published
which gives
some hope to a
chance of
finding it
somewhere.
Nevertheless
you should be
aware that not
all materials
might have
been captured
by Germany
after 1939,
moreover, the
Planheft does
contain
certain
mistakes, so
while
authoritative,
it is not a
definite and
fully reliable
source. Planheft
OSTEUROPA
ehemals
Polnischer
Raum 1944
[63 Mb] Planheft
OSTEUROPA
ehemals
Polnischer
Raum 1944
[12.9Mb] Planheft
Polen
(1939)
Pre-WW2
edition (much
less developed
than the
later, 1944
edition) Document
from the “Germandocsinrussia.org”
PLANHEFT
SÜDOSTEUROPA
SÜDLICHER TEIL
- one of the
larger
publications
of this type,
dated August
1943. Large
version approx. 290
Mb (pdf) Small
version
(still good
quality), is
“only” 85 Mb
"Länderweise
Zusammenstellung
aller Karten
und
Mil-Geo-Artbeiten”
The main
publication of
this type by
the German
military
cartography
service during
WW2. Despite
its title it
does NOT
contain all
index sheets
of all map
types,
nevertheless
it is a very
comprehensive
volume,
several
hundred pages
long and with
approx. 150
index sheets.
This edition
comes from
mid-1943. The
second, 1944
edition, was
probably lost
by the end of
WW2. After the
war, the
volume was
captured by
the British
Military
Cartography
(Directory of
MIlitary
Survey) and
“improved”, by
adding index
sheets,
presumably
from the 1944
edition or
from the
Kartenbriefe.
Therefore some
of the index
sheets are
scanned
photocopies,
others are
available in
both 1943 and
1944 edition
(dates in the
bottom-right
corner). ou
will also
notice
hand-written
comments on
some of the
pages, both in
German,
presumably
made by the
original
owner(s), and
later ones, in
English.
Please note
several (no
more than 5)
index sheets
are missing.
We will try
hard to locate
them and add
to the
publication in
the future. LÄNDERWEISE
ZUSAMMENSTELLUNG
ALLER KARTEN
UND MIL-GEO
ARBEITEN
[235 Mb, PDF] LÄNDERWEISE
ZUSAMMENSTELLUNG
ALLER KARTEN
UND MIL-GEO
ARBEITEN
[91 Mb, PDF]
We return herewith the two volumes
on the DNYEPR and its tributories, lent to us by J.I.B.3/B to further
the research for such material. (...) These volumes appear to be the only surviving copies
and we should be most grateful for a further loan at your convenience
to permit the preparation of coloured copies, at a later date.
Evaluation of Two Folders of Wehrgeologenstelle 16
Folder 1. Dnjepr - Charakteristik I Folder 2. Ingulez, Ssinjucha, Bug und Nordukraine
These two folders contain reports of
the Wehrgeologenstelle 16 and of various other German military geology
units, dated 1943-44. They consist either of reports accompanied by
Manuscript maps, profiles and sketches, or of manuscript maps only.
Scale of maps vary; majority of maps are at scale 1:100,000
and 1:50 000. Topo maps are, as a rule, used as
base. The subject of the majority of the
reports are descriptions of the physical char cteristics of rivers and
their valleys; depth, width, bottom, flow, brinks, highwater, inundated
areas, crossings, bridges, highways, to determine the military value of
the terrain for defense or offense. However, the amount of information
shown varies. Other reports were made to determine possibilities of
construction of field fortifications and roads. Besides the rivers mentioned above, some reports refer to the Pruth River. A preliminary check indicates, that
probably none of the material is available at AMS. It is possible that
other copies of these reports were in the Heringen collection and are
available in Washington. Most of the reports seem to be based
on field checks and should therefore be accurate. The reports should be
valuable for MIB for bridges, roads and for check of physical
characteristics. They should be very valuable for the geography section
of the USSR Branch of RSID. Wehrgeologenstelle 16: Ingulez, Ssinjucha, Bug und Nordukraine, 1943 [812 Mb!] Wehrgeologenstelle 16: Ingulez, Ssinjucha, Bug und Nordukraine, 1943 [149 Mb] (small) Wehrgeologenstelle 16: Dnjepr Charakteristik I, 1943 [430 Mb] Wehrgeologenstelle 16: Dnjepr Charakteristik I, 1943 [84 Mb] (small)
Other
materials
“Guide
to Warschau with
numerous
photographs, a
list of German
institutions,
public
buildings,
information on
District
Warschau and a
town plan with
new, German
street names”
(1942) - Ordered
by the
Department of
Propaganda by
the Governor of
District
Warschau. K.
Grundmann
"Führer durch
Warschau, mit
zahlreichen
Abbildungen,
Verzeichnis
den deutschen
Behörden,
öffentlichen
Einrichtungen,
Angaben über
den Distrikt
und Stadtplan
mit neuen
deutschen
Straßenbezeichnungen"
(1942)
im Auftrage der
Abteilung
Propaganda beim
Gouverneur des
Distrikts
Warschau
Buchverlag
Deutscher Osten
GmbH. Krakau 1942 courtesy
of the Library
of Congress, USA A guidebook to the countryside
around Warschau, published by the Kriegskarten und Vermessungsamt II,
Warschau in 1942 r, with a 1:100,000 map. A rather peculiar map, given
the context, showing routes for daily trips, presumably for German
civilian personnel in Warschau (and their families). high-resolution
version of this map available in Mapsterlink) Wanderungen
Ausflüge in
der Umgebung
von Warschau
(Walks in the
Warschau
region). 1942,
30 MB, pdf.
"Die
Ergebnisse der
Abflussmengenmessungen
im
Niederschlagsgebiede
der Oder in
den Jahren
1888 – 1937"
(Results of the
Flow Rate
Measurements in
the Oder basis
from 1888 -1937)
The Office of the
General Governer
of the occupied
Polish territories
Construction
Division –
Waterways –
Instytute of
Hydrography
Warschau,
Kriegsausgabe 1940
(“The manuscript
was prepared
before the war and
sent to be printed
by the State
Hydrographic
Service of Poland
- Ministry of
Transport, Office
of Waterways,
Institute of
Hydrography”) courtesy
of the Library
of Congress, USA Wehrkreis
XXI (Reichsgau
Wartheland)
Mil-geo
Überblick
Bildheft
1941 r. 43 Mb,
pdf (4 pages are missing). [OCR] Courtesy
of prof.
Paszyński,
Warsaw, who
made this
publication
available.
DANZIG
FÜHRER MIT
PHARUSPLAN UND
ABBBILDUNGEN Guidebook
to Danzig with
a Pharus plan
and drawings).
No date, early
1920s. Plan
also available
in Mapster.
"A mini-Danzig
guidebook with
a Pharus
plan". A
different
variant of a
popular
inter-war
guidebook. No
date, approx.
early 1920s.
The plan,
slightly
different to
the one above
is also
available, in
high
resolution,
via Mapster. Kleiner
FÜHRER durch
DANZIG mit
Pharusplan
[30 MB]
"Foreign
Maps" A US
manual from
1956 with
short
descriptions
of most map
types used or
known in 1955,
scanned by
Google TM5-248
TECHNICAL
MANUAL FOREIGN
MAPS
[PDF, 47,50
Mb.]
Hugh P. VOWLES
Ukraine and
its people". A somewhat
peculiar publication,
dated 1939,
extolling the
virtue of a
new, brave,
communist
world:
“Together with
their comrades
in other parts
of the Soviet
Union these
Ukrainians
have left the
old,
low-vaulted
world for
ever. With
their faces
turned towards
the future
they go forth
to life’s
power and
beauty”(etc.) “Ukraine
and its
people”
____________
Infamous
"Burdenko
report” on the
Katyn
massacre,
published in
Moscow in
1944:
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
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
Hi:
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Andrzej Tomczak
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Thanks
@JMisiewicz
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