This is nice old color example of this late 16th Century engraving of the Mecklenburgish Hanseatic city of Rostock as seen from across the Warnow River, first published in about 1598.
This remarkable depiction captures Rostock’s Gothic architecture, bustling maritime activity, and its vital role as a prominent trading hub in the Baltic region. The title emphasizes Rostock’s identity as a key city of the Wendish Hanseatic League and its historical association with the Vandals.
In the foreground, staffage figures illustrate the local costumes and social hierarchy of Rostock’s residents. From left to right, these include peasants and councilors, a burgher representing the merchant class, a married woman, an unmarried woman, and a maid. The attire of these figures provides insight into the cultural and economic composition of Rostock’s population during the late 16th century, adding a human dimension to the city’s visual narrative.
The detailed cityscape highlights Rostock’s skyline, dominated by Gothic architecture. Key landmarks include St. Peter’s and St. Nicholas’s churches to the left, the town hall with its seven distinctive spires, and St. Mary’s Church, known for its seven doors and its famed astronomical clock. These architectural elements reflect Rostock’s prosperity and sophistication, while the repeated association with the number seven underscores its symbolic and cultural importance to the city’s identity.
The engraving emphasizes Rostock’s maritime significance, showcasing ships and smaller vessels navigating the Warnow River. Rostock’s location, just 10 miles from the Baltic Sea, made it an ideal hub for trade with Scandinavia and the broader Baltic region. Braun’s commentary highlights the city’s thriving export economy, including grain, flour, butter, fish, and metals. Rostock beer, produced by 50 brewers at an annual volume of 25,000 barrels, is praised for its superior quality and widespread renown.
Rostock emerged as a major center of trade in the 14th century and was among the founding members of the Wendish Hansa. Its strategic location and natural harbor facilitated its growth into a bustling port city. By the late 16th century, Rostock had a population of approximately 15,000 and was home to the University of Rostock, established in 1419 as the first university in the Baltic region. The city’s wealth and influence are evident in its architecture, trade networks, and cultural achievements.
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 (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 (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.