Spojene Staty Severoamericke Vereinigte Staaten Von Amerika [United States of America]

A colorful Czech-language map of the U.S. issued by Norddeutscher Lloyd on the brink of World War I.

This scarce c. 1912 map of the United States was published in Berlin by Hobbing & Co. to promote Czech emigration to America along the North German Lloyd (NDL) steamship lines. From their departure point in Bremen, NDL ships ferried tens of thousands of Czechs each year across the Atlantic, fleeing high taxes, few employment opportunities, and a looming continental war in Austria-Hungary. Various routes in operation are brightly highlighted in red.

Ports of arrival all along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico seamlessly integrate with America’s incredible railroad network, facilitating easy access to almost every corner of the welcoming nation. While much of the text is provided in Czech, only the bodies of water and a handful of places are labeled in that language. Further text on the verso of the sheet promotes the North German Lloyd lines to Canada and North and South America, assuring excellent cuisine, comfortable accommodation, and exemplary service in all classes.

Published around 1912 based on the status of the railroad system in Mexico and the arrival of the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway to Lakeview.

Sources: Historic Texas Maps; Bye Myself (Blog);