Politicka a mistopisna Mapa Kralovstvi Ceskeho [Political and Topographical Map of the Kingdom of the Czech Republic]

An important political statement about Czech nationalism from the early 1870s.

This bold and detailed map covers the historic region of Bohemia (the western portion of the modern-day Czech Republic) and presents an authoritative definition of the territory, scrambling for recognition in the continental shakeup after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. A fascinating variety of elements are identified throughout, including political boundaries, transportation infrastructure, religious institutions, and natural features.

A table in the lower right offers a population breakdown for each district, with an inset of the area around Prague immediately above. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 precluded the goal of a tripartite (Austria-Bohemia-Hungary) monarchy, which encouraged the development of a distinct Czech national identity that manifested strongly in music, art, and literature.

The image was designed and drawn by Josef Erben, curator of maps at the Czech National Museum, and published in 1872. This is at least the second edition, with the first issued two years earlier. At the time, there was little foundation for Czech cartographic production, requiring Erben to invent terminology from scratch that was later adopted by other Slavic countries. There are several significant updates from the earlier version, including the addition of new information, the Prague inset, and an additional red line that highlights a largely artificial border between German and Czech inhabited areas.