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The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1870

Scarce "political and topographical" map of the Kingdom of Bohemia, with title cartouche surmounted by the two tailed lion coat of arms of Bohemia.

This map was compiled by Professor Josef Erben and published by K. Janský in Tábor, Bohemia. It provides a detailed view of the political and administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which at the time was part of the Austrian Empire. The map displays district boundaries, towns, villages, and key infrastructure, such as railroads and roads, offering a comprehensive view of Bohemia's landscape during the late 19th century.

The legend on the left-hand side of the map explains various symbols used:

• Město (denoted by a black circle with a dot in the center) represents cities with over 20,000 inhabitants.
• Smaller circles indicate towns of decreasing population sizes, from 10,000 to fewer than 1,000 inhabitants.
• Different types of lines represent railways (either completed or under construction), state roads, and district roads.

Symbols also mark religious and administrative structures:

• Crosses represent Catholic churches and monasteries.
• Castles, mansions, and residences of bishops and archbishops are marked with distinct symbols.

The table titled Rozdělení země (Division of the Land) at the bottom of the map lists administrative districts (hejtmanství) and their associated counties (okresy), providing detailed population counts for each region. For example, the Českobrod district includes places like Český Brod and Kouřim, with a population of 59,884 at the time of the map’s publication.

A small inset map in the lower right corner offers a detailed view of Prague and its surrounding areas, highlighting its role as the political and cultural center of Bohemia. 

 Issued at a time when Bohemia was pushing for a "tripartite monarchy" with Austria and Hungary, the map provides remarkable detail, noting every town of more than 300 inhabitants, along with roads, railroad lines, post offices, telegraph stations, churches, monasteries and a host of other information. Certainly one of the most detailed maps of the period.

The map comes shortly after the conclusion of the Austro-Prussian War, during a period of renewed efforts to re-establish greater autonomy for Bohemia. In 1861, a new elected Bohemian Diet was established. The renewal of the old Bohemian Crown (Kingdom of Bohemia, Margraviate of Moravia, and Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia) became the official political program of both Czech liberal politicians and the majority of Bohemian aristocracy. After the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Hungarian politicians achieved the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, ostensibly creating equality between the Austrian and Hungarian halves of the empire. An attempt by the Czechs to create a tripartite monarchy (Austria-Hungary-Bohemia) failed in 1871.

Rarity

OCLC locates only the Bibliotheque Nationale De France and British Library Copies.