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Description

This hand-colored engraved view of Bardowick, Lower Saxony, comes from the fifth volume of Civitates Orbis Terrarum, edited by Georg Braun and illustrated by Frans Hogenberg. The bird’s-eye perspective shows the town as it appeared in the late 16th century, highlighting its significance in Saxony’s early history and trade. Commissioned by Heinrich Rantzau, a prominent figure of the Lower Elbe region, the map provides an embellished depiction of Bardowick as part of Braun's project to document the urban centers of Europe.

The cartouche text, translated as "The picture of the very ancient Saxon town of Bardowick was generously procured by Heinrich Rantzau, lord of the Lower Elbe, to further embellish this fifth volume. In the year 1595," indicates Rantzau’s role in sponsoring this view, underscoring the cultural and historical pride tied to Bardowick. Commentary on the verso by Braun elaborates on the town’s early origins, tracing its name to the Bards or Lombards, who controlled much of the area along the Elbe River. Bardowick, first documented in 795 AD and potentially mentioned earlier in Roman sources, was one of the oldest towns in Lower Saxony.

The engraving captures Bardowick from the northwest, offering a detailed view of its medieval layout and key structures. The Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Paul is prominently featured in the foreground with its twin-towered west façade. Fields and gardens surround the town, and its proximity to the River Ilmenau, also known as the Lunow, is clearly indicated. Bardowick's strategic location at the crossroads of two major trade routes and its control of the navigable Ilmenau river made it an essential hub for commerce in the early medieval period. The Ilmenau provided access to the Elbe and facilitated the shipping of Lüneburg salt, a critical commodity.

Despite its historical prominence, Bardowick's fortunes declined in the mid-12th century. The rise of Lübeck as a key trading port and the extension of Ilmenau's navigability to Lüneburg diminished Bardowick’s commercial importance. This decline is contrasted with its earlier economic prosperity, during which it held civic, coignage, and toll rights, as described by Braun.  

Civitates Orbis Terrarum: The Greatest City Book

Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg began the process of creating a comprehensive atlas of the cities of the world in 1572. Their book, Civitates Orbis Terrarum, was originally intended as a companion to Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first true atlas.

The great atlas was edited by Georg Braun, with Franz Hogenberg engraving many of the views. When the project was finished, the series would contain over 546 views (sometimes with multiple views on a single plate).

Civitates Orbis Terrarum includes the work of over 100 artists and topographers, perhaps most notable among them was the superlative talent of Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600). He provided original drawings of Spanish and Italian towns, as well as reworking and improving the town drawings of other artists. After Joris's death, his son Jakob continued the project.

The Civitates provides an incredibly comprehensive view of urban life in the late 16th century. Many of the views in these volumes are the earliest of their respective towns -- either absolutely, or they are predated only by impossible rarities, as in the case of London. Cities portrayed range from the great capitals of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas to small Swiss hamlets and other tiny villages. As such, this singular and indispensable source for understanding the early modern world.

The work was published in six volumes, each of which contained approximately sixty plates. The subject matter of each plate varied widely, it could provide a single view of a city, two views of the same city, or views of up to nine different cities. The range of designs is extensive, and it is interesting to compare the variety between views of the same city by two different authors.

Georg Braun Biography

Georg Braun (1541-1622) was born and died in Cologne. His primary vocation was as Catholic cleric; he spent thirty-seven years as canon and dean at the church St. Maria ad Gradus, in Cologne. Braun was the chief editor of the Civitates orbis terrarum, the greatest book of town views ever published.  His job entailed hiring artists, acquiring source material for the maps and views, and writing the text. In this role, he was assisted by Abraham Ortelius. Braun lived into his 80s, and he was the only member of the original team to witness the publication of the sixth volume in 1617.

Frans Hogenberg Biography

Frans Hogenberg (ca. 1540-ca. 1590) was a Flemish and German engraver and mapmaker who also painted. He was born in Mechelen, south of Antwerp, the son of wood engraver and etcher Nicolas Hogenberg. Together with his father, brother (Remigius), uncle, and cousins, Frans was one member of a prominent artistic family in the Netherlands.

During the 1550s, Frans worked in Antwerp with the famous mapmaker Abraham Ortelius. There, he engraved the maps for Ortelius’ groundbreaking first atlas, published in Antwerp in 1570, along with Johannes van Deotecum and Ambrosius and Ferdinand Arsenius. It is suspected he engraved the title page as well. Later, Ortelius supported Hogenberg with information for a different project, the Civitates orbis terrarium (edited by Georg Braun, engraved by Hogenberg, published in six volumes, Cologne, 1572-1617). Hogenberg engraved the majority of the work’s 546 prospects and views.

It is possible that Frans spent some time in England while fleeing from religious persecution, but he was living and working in Cologne by 1580. That is the city where he died around 1590. In addition to his maps, he is known for his historical allegories and portraits. His brother, Remigius, also went on to some fame as an engraver, and he died around the same time as his brother.