LithuanianMaps.com
Hello/Labas! I'm Andrew Kapochunas (Andrius Kapočiūnas, born in the
Lithuanian-Estonian Displaced Persons camp in Kempten - Allgäu,
Germany) and this site (founded 2008, became static on March 31, 2021
thanks to Yahoo! ending support for this platform; see my successor site:
www.lithuanianjournal.org)) reflects my interest in maps of the historic
Lithuanian area:"The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,"
1569 - 1791, followed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania within the "Polish
Republic," 1791-1795. At one point it covered 400,000 square miles and was
the largest country in Europe. According to Steven Seegel, in his 2012
"Mapping Europe's Borderlands," it "...comprised parts of 14 Central and
East European countries -- Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Germany, Hungary, Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, Latvia, Lithuania,
Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, and Ukraine..."  
In 2010, Richard Butterwick, in Central Europe, Vol. 8 No. 2, wrote of "...the
successor states, nations, and nation-states of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:
Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Israel (to name but
the principal ones)."  My focus here is the area represented today by the three
Baltic republics, eastern Poland, the Kaliningrad Oblast, and Belarus -- if you
or your ancestors  are from these areas, you will find maps here of interest.






















What hasn't existed, before this site, is a single source for:
  • Historic-Lithuanian-area map images, sorted by date depicted, published from 1507 to 1954
  • Ethnographic maps of the historic Lithuanian area from pre-history to World War II
  • Political maps of Europe showing Lithuania and/or Poland
  • The history that explains the shifting boundaries of Lithuania
  • Other sites selling historic and contemporary maps of the historic Lithuanian area
  • Other sites with high-definition maps of the historic Lithuanian area
  • Biographies of mapmakers of this area, hotlinked to their maps
  • Global auctions and fairs for historic-Lithuanian-area maps

Grand totals, 2008 - March 31, 2021:
  • 4,330 uniquely-colored maps of the historic-Lithuanian area in downloadable jpegs
  •     664 higher-magnification detail images of some of those maps, where the basic image is not high-definition
  •     669 topographic maps from the 19th century onwards showing the area in high definition
  •     264 historical maps of the Lithuanian area -- maps created and published long after the time depicted
  •     221 town views, plans, and prints
  •     208 political maps of Europe from 900 to 1943 showing Lithuania and/or Poland      
  •      186 ethnographic maps, categorizing peoples by tribe, language and/or religion
  •      158 maps of European Russia, 1550 to 1948, showing Lithuania within and outside the Russian Empire
  •      118 maps of Lithuania Minor / Prussian Lithuania
  •        68 mapmaker biographies, many with illustrations and keys to identifying states of their maps    
  •        63 sea charts of the Baltic, 1547 to 1946, focusing on the seacoasts of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia
  •        57 hotlinks to additional map resources, including upcoming map fairs  
  •        27 playing/collectible cards with images of maps
  •          6 articles about maps of the historic Lithuanian area
  •         0 advertisements or items for sale: this site is 100% educational

Final adds, March 15 - 30:
  • 16 maps, 5 of which are "New to this site"
  •  9 new town views/plans
  •  5 greatly-improved images of an existing map

Where did visitors to this site come from? Visitors' countries of origin, first quarter, 2021:
1. USA: 68.0%; 2. Russia: 10.0%; 3. Latvia: 7.1%; Other: 14.9%




     
  • 1598 Grodeckis (original cartographer/engraver) - Pograbski (correcting cartographer) - Ortelius
    (publisher): "POLONIÆ, LITVANIÆ Q. DESCRIPTIO.," Amsterdam or Antwerp, in three new versions
    (9.1, 8.6, and 7.3 MB), all from "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum," the first modern atlas: the first systematic
    collection of maps that included all parts of the world, with maps in a uniform format




     
  • New to this site: 1618 Bertius (cartographer) - Hondius (engraver/brother-in-law of Bertius):  
    "LIVONIÆ DESCRIP." (726 KB), Amsterdam, in a unique version with "DESCRIPTION DE LIVONIE."
    above the frameline, after Ortelius, from "Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum…"




     
  • 1679 N. Sanson (cartographer) - Visscher (publisher): "Tabula nova totius REGNI POLONIÆ in quo
    sunt Ducatus et Provinciae Prussia, Cujavia, Mazovia, Russia Nigra, &c. DUCATUS  
    LITHUANIA, UKRANIA, &c..." (9.3 MB), Amsterdam, in a new version -- with added gold leaf in the
    cartouche and map -- of the 4th State. Visscher had Sanson's 1655 map copied and published as his own




     
  • 1684 Danckerts Family (engravers/publishers): "Ducatuum Livoniæ et Curlandiæ Novissima    
    Tabula in Quibus sunt Estonia Litlandia...cum Privilegio Ord: Hollandiæ et West-Friesiæ"    
    (1.5 MB),  Amsterdam, in a new version. The "privilege" was granted the Danckerts family in 1684. The map
    appeared in a Danckerts' atlas as late as 1698




     
  • 1697 Clüver (mapmaker) - Wolters (Amsterdam publisher) - Sam. Smith & Benj. Walford (London   
    publisher): "Veteris et Novæ Regni Poloniæ Magniq Ducatus Lithuaniæ..," Leyden and London, in  
    two new versions (7.5, 9.0 MB) of the second Latin version of the plate from "Introductionis in Universam
    Geographicum," issued from 1624 (with no maps) until 1729




     
  • 1700 Stridbeck II, The Younger (publisher): "Compendiosa POLONIÆ Representatio..," Augsburg, in    
    a greatly-improved image (from 200 KB to 4.5 MB) from his atlas "Provinciarum Polonia Geog. Descriptio,"
    supposedly the first small-format atlas of Poland. On Stridbeck's death in 1716, the plate passed on to Gabriel
    Bodenehr, who made changes to the cartouche, and published the maps as his own




     
  • 1714 Chatelain (engraver, after Delisle) - Gueudeville (commentary) - François l’Honoré & Cie; Frères
    Châtelain (publishers): "NOUVELLE CARTE DU ROYAUME DE POLOGNE.." (1.5 MB), Amsterdam, in    
    a new version from the First Edition of Tome (Volume) IV of "Atlas Historique"




     
  • c. 1720 Homann (geographer/cartographer): "Dvcatvvm LIVONIÆ et Cvrlandiӕ, cum vicinis  
    Insulis Nova Exhibitio Geographica..," Amsterdam, in two new versions (9.6, 9.2 MB), with a   
    cartouche pre-dating his "Cum Privilegio S.C.M." -- see the 1730 versions with it




     
  • New to this site: c. 1725 Seutter (engraver/publisher): "Livoniæ et Curlandiæ Ducatus cum Insulis
    adjacentib. Mappa Geographica exhibiti per Matthæum Seutter Chalcogr. Augustan." (4.7 MB),
    Augsburg, in the only Seutter Livonia map I have seen without the "privilege" he received n 1731




     
  • c. 1727 R. & J. Ottens (publishers): "Magni Ducatus Lithuaniæ Divisa tam in Palatinatus,"
    Amsterdam, in a greatly improved image (from two images adding up to 764 KB, to one image of 9.2 MB).    
    The brothers took over Joachim's (their father's ) firm in 1726, and, that same year, bought the plate of this
    map from the Danckerts family. Any map with the Ottens name in the cartouche instead of Danckerts' can't
    have been published before 1726




     
  • 1737 Lidl (engraver): "Regnum Poloniæ et Magnus Ducatus Lithuaniæ," Vienna, in a greatly-
    improved image: from 269 KB to 5.5 MB




     
  • 1741 Seutter (engraver/publisher): "Poloniæ Regnum ut et  Magni Ducatus Lithuaniæ" (4.1 MB),
    Augsburg, in a new version of the Fourth State of the plate
 
  • New to this site: 1923 [dated] Bazewicz (mapmaker): "MAPA POLSKI..." (9.7 MB), Warsaw, in a map
    with the cartouche in French as well as Polish, and depicting all of Lithuania




     
  • New to this site: 1938 [dated] Kacprzak (compiler/mapmaker) - Geographical Society of Military Sciences
    (publisher): "REPUBLIKA LITEWSKA" (9.5 MB), Warsaw, with town names in Lithuanian, above Polish
    versions of the names within parens




     
  • (MapsLithuaniaMinor):
  • 1680 Henneberger (original cartographer) - S. & E.S. Hamersveldt (engravers) - Jansson, Pitt
    (publishers): "PRUSSIA Accurate Descripta," Oxford, in a greatly-improved image (from 2.0 MB to
    9.6 MB), from Pitt's "The English Atlas"




     
  • c. 1695 Danckerts (geographer/engraver/publisher): "Ducatus Prussiæ tam Polono Regiæ    
    quam Ducalis Brandenburgo Novissima Descriptio in tres Palatinatus et Ducalis et
    Minores Dominia," Amsterdam,  in a greatly-improved image (from 754 KB to 9.5 MB)




     
  • (TownViewsKaunas):
  • New to this site: 1929 [dated] J. Salėnėkas (compiler/Kaunas city surveyor) - Cezaris Petrauskas
    (publisher): "KAUNO MIESTO PLANAS" (4.2 MB)




     
  • New to this site: 1935 [dated] Spaudos Fondo (publisher): "KAUNAS" (9.6 MB)




     
  • New to this site: c. 1935 J.J. Burba (verifying artist/designer) - A. Ptašeko (publisher): "KAUNO
    MIESTO PLANAS" (9.3 MB)




     
  • (TownViewsN-Z): All four New to this site: 1935 Trakai (Troki), from the booklet: "Rozprawy i
    Materiały Wydzialu III Towarzystwa Przyjaciol Nauk w Wilnie, Tom IX, Zeszyt I" (Dissertations and   
    Materials of Department III of the Society of Friends of Sciences in Vilnius Volume IX Book I), "Travaux    
    des Instituts de Geologie et de Geographie de l'Universite de Wilno, Nr 17" (Work of the Institutes of Geology
    and Geography of the University of Wilno, Number 17), "Jan Jerzy Tochtermann" (mapmaker),  
    "Anthropogeographischer Grundriss der  Stadt Troki" (Anthropogeographical plan of the city of Troki)
  • ("The schematic block diagram of the surroundings of Trakai") (2.7 MB)
  • ("1. Physiognomic Map of Trakai") (8.1 MB) -- Trakai's physical characteristics
  • ("2. Religions Map") (4.9 MB) -- depicting locations of Christians, Jews, Karaites and Muslims
  • ("3. Shops and Craftsmen Map") (6.3 MB)




     
  • (TownViewsRiga):
  • New to this site: 1942, March: "Übersichtsplan der Stadt Riga" (9.6 MB), published during the
    Nazi occupation, July 1941 - May 1945




     
  • (TownViewsVilnius):
  • New to this site: 1550 Braun & Hogenberg (publishers/engravers), Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
    (writer/historian), Litog. J. Oziębłowskiego (Lithographic publisher): "PLAN MIASTA WILNA : (à  
    vol doiscau) : około roku 1550" (...around the year 1550) (5.3 MB), Vilnius, published 1840
200 metų ąžuolas. 200-
year-old oak in
Mažeikiai, Lithuania,
by Aras Mileska
When viewing this site repeatedly,  ALWAYS RELOAD/REFRESH (or try "Ctrl" + "F5")
BEFORE VIEWING SO THAT YOU DON'T SEE AN OLD, CACHED, VERSION!
1773 Robert Sayer (pubisher): "The Troelfth Cake (also the The Twelfth Cake, The Royal Cake, The Cake of Kings,
from the French: Le gâteau des rois, Polish: Kołacz królewski, Placek królewski) is a 1773 French allegory and
satire for the First Partition of Poland. It is likely that the original title in English was intended to say "The Twelfth
Cake," alluding to the division of a King Cake (also called a Twelfth Cake), but corrupted in later reprints.There are
at least four variants of this drawing, most common in the form of an engraving, but also as at least one color
painting; the original was likely drawn by Jean-Michel Moreau le Jeune and engraved by Nicolas Noël Le Mire
(although another source calls them merely the authors of the most famous variant). The Troelfth Cake shows the
rulers of the three countries that participated in the partition tearing apart a map of the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth. The outer figures demanding their share are Catherine II of Russia and Frederick II of Prussia.
Catherine is glaring at her former lover, the Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski, and (in some variants of the
engraving) Frederick is pointing to Danzig (Gdańsk) with a sword (although Prussia acquired the territories around
it, Gdańsk still remained with the Commonwealth). The inner figure on the right is the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II.
On his left is the beleaguered Stanisław August Poniatowski, who (in some variants of the engraving) is experiencing
difficulty keeping his crown on his head, and in another, has already lost it. Above the scene is Pheme (with
manifestos from the partitioning powers in the German variant). The drawing gained notoriety in contemporary
Europe; its distribution was banned in several European countries, including France. This ban, and associated
penalties, meant that many variants of this work have been anonymous. (From Wikipedia)
The mission and intent of this site: 100% educational, 100% non-commercial
Contents © LithuanianMaps.com, LLC, 2021
Images may be reproduced or transmitted for non-commercial use without permission
as long as credit is given to both the original source and this site
The First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: 1772
French original
engraving. From
Jonathan Potter:
jpmaps.co.uk
German version
by Johannes
Esaias Nilson. From
WikiCommons
Jean-Michel Moreau.
From WikiGallery
1697 Philipp Clüver: "Veteris et Novae Regni Poloniae Magniq Ducatus Lithuaniae..." Leyden. From
"Introductionis in Universam Geographicum," issued 1650 -  mid-1700's.
From Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps: www.raremaps.com