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This Map of the Kingdom of Denmark, Including the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg from 1842 offers a comprehensive depiction of Denmark’s territorial extent during a period marked by significant geopolitical shifts. In particular, it includes the Duchy of Holstein and the Duchy of Lauenburg, territories under Danish sovereignty yet part of the German Confederation.
The map meticulously outlines the various regions of Denmark proper, such as Jutland, Zealand, and Funen, as well as the duchies to the south, all of which are bordered by the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and adjacent German territories.
The Duchy of Lauenburg had been annexed by Denmark by the Treaty of Vienna on June 4, 1815, as confirmed by a note included on the map. This treaty, signed with Prussia, was part of the Congress of Vienna’s broader realignment of European powers following the Napoleonic Wars. Denmark, having been on the losing side during the wars, had suffered considerable territorial losses, most notably Norway, which was ceded to Sweden by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814. However, as a consolation, Denmark received Lauenburg, thereby extending its influence southward into the German-speaking states.
This period saw Denmark struggling to maintain its sovereignty over the German duchies, especially Holstein, which was deeply intertwined with the political dynamics of the German Confederation. The dual governance of these duchies—administered by the Danish crown but culturally and politically connected to the German states—became a source of tension that would later ignite into the Schleswig-Holstein Question. This conflict reached a breaking point with the First Schleswig War (1848–1851), just a few years after this map was published, as nationalist movements in Germany sought to unite the duchies with the German Confederation.
The map highlights Denmark’s maritime dominance, controlling vital trade routes between the Baltic and North Seas. The detailed inclusion of coastal cities, fortifications, and maritime routes underscores Denmark’s strategic interest in maintaining control of the Danish straits, which were critical to European trade and naval power in the 19th century.
James Wyld Sr. (1790-1836) was a British cartographer and one of Europe’s leading mapmakers. He made many contributions to cartography, including the introduction of lithography into map printing in 1812.
William Faden, another celebrated cartographer, passed down his mapmaking business to Wyld in 1823. The quality and quantity of Faden’s maps, combined with Wyld’s considerable skill, brought Wyld great prestige.
Wyld was named geographer to Kings George IV and William IV, as well as HRH the Duke of York. In 1825, he was elected an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was one of the founding members of the Royal Geographical Society in 1830. Also in 1830, his son, James Wyld Jr., took over his publishing house. Wyld Sr. died of overwork on October 14, 1836.
James Wyld Jr. (1812-87) was a renowned cartographer in his own right and he successfully carried on his father’s business. He gained the title of Geographer to the Queen and H.R.H. Prince Albert. Punch (1850) described him in humorous cartographic terms, “If Mr. Wyld’s brain should be ever discovered (we will be bound he has a Map of it inside his hat), we should like to have a peep at it, for we have a suspicion that the two hemispheres must be printed, varnished, and glazed, exactly like a pair of globes.”
