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Description

This map presents a detailed cartographic representation of the Duchy of Holstein in early 19th century. 

The map highlights the boundaries and features of this historic region in Northern Germany, along with the surrounding Imperial Free Cities of Hamburg and Lübeck, as well as the ecclesiastical territory of the Bishopric of Eutin.  

Historically, the Duchy of Holstein was a significant part of the German Confederation during the first half of the 19th century. It was ruled in personal union by the Danish monarchy but maintained its German identity, making the region a focal point of tension, particularly in the lead-up to the Schleswig-Holstein Question. Hamburg and Lübeck, both Imperial Free Cities, were centers of trade and commerce, with Hamburg being one of the largest port cities in Europe, strategically located on the Elbe River. Lübeck, situated near the Trave River and the Gulf of Lübeck, was historically significant as a major member of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe. The Bishopric of Eutin, a small ecclesiastical state, adds a religious dimension to the region, highlighting the influence of the Church in the political and cultural landscape of the time.

The map identifies several rivers that are vital to the region, including the Elbe, flowing through Hamburg, and the Trave River, which connects Lübeck to the Baltic Sea. The map is densely populated with towns, cities, and notable settlements, including major places like Kiel, Rendsburg, and Oldenburg.  

The explanatory key provides insight into the symbols used on the map, indicating the importance of various settlements and structures. Fortified Towns are marked with a star-shaped emblem, symbolizing their military importance. Principal Towns and Market Towns are indicated by ovals of varying shading, reflecting their size and economic roles. Other symbols denote Castles and Bailiwicks, Noblemen’s Seats, Farms, and Villages with Parish Churches. There are distinctions made between Villages or Hamlets, Seats with a Church, and Water Mills, reflecting the rural and agricultural organization of the region. Boundaries of the different territories are marked with dashed lines, while Dykes, crucial to the water management of the low-lying areas, are indicated by a distinctive wave-like line. The territories of Hamburg, Lübeck, and Eutin are delineated in various colors for easy distinction, along with areas that are jointly controlled by Hamburg and Lübeck. 

Condition Description
Minor soiling and foxing.
William Faden Biography

William Faden (1749-1836) was the most prominent London mapmaker and publisher of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. His father, William Mackfaden, was a printer who dropped the first part of his last name due to the Jacobite rising of 1745. 

Apprenticed to an engraver in the Clothworkers' Company, he was made free of the Company in August of 1771. He entered into a partnership with the family of Thomas Jeffreys, a prolific and well-respected mapmaker who had recently died in 1771. This partnership lasted until 1776. 

Also in 1776, Faden joined the Society of Civil Engineers, which later changed its name to the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers. The Smeatonians operated as an elite, yet practical, dining club and his membership led Faden to several engineering publications, including canal plans and plans of other new engineering projects.

Faden's star rose during the American Revolution, when he produced popular maps and atlases focused on the American colonies and the battles that raged within them. In 1783, just as the war ended, Faden inherited his father's estate, allowing him to fully control his business and expand it; in the same year he gained the title "Geographer in Ordinary to his Majesty."

Faden also commanded a large stock of British county maps, which made him attractive as a partner to the Ordnance Survey; he published the first Ordnance map in 1801, a map of Kent. The Admiralty also admired his work and acquired some of his plates which were re-issued as official naval charts.

Faden was renowned for his ingenuity as well as his business acumen. In 1796 he was awarded a gold medal by the Society of Arts. With his brother-in-law, the astronomer and painter John Russell, he created the first extant lunar globe.

After retiring in 1823 the lucrative business passed to James Wyld, a former apprentice. He died in Shepperton in 1826, leaving a large estate.