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Mapping The Keteloorlog

This rare separately published map by Jakob Adam, titled Ausfluss der Schelde in die Nord-See (Outflow of the Scheldt into the North Sea), was published in Vienna by the prominent firm Artaria & Compagnie.

The map focuses on the complex delta region of the Scheldt River (Schelde Fluss), tracing its winding course from inland Flanders and Brabant through to its discharge into the North Sea. Compiled from the most accurate and recent cartographic sources of its time, it provides a highly detailed representation of the Austrian Netherlands and the Dutch borderlands during the late 18th century.

In 1784, the year in which this map was issued, Joseph II challenged Dutch control of the Scheldt, demanding its reopening for navigation and trade. This demand culminated in a diplomatic confrontation known as the Kettle War (Keteloorlog), a brief and bloodless naval skirmish in which an Austrian ship was fired upon by Dutch forces in October 1784. Austrian forces invaded Dutch territory, razed a custom station and occupied the old Fort Lillo. Though the military action was limited, the episode highlighted the geopolitical fragility of the Austrian Netherlands and the tension between Vienna and The Hague. The matter was ultimately resolved diplomatically by the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1785), which confirmed Dutch rights to the river but included a modest financial concession to Austria.

Topographically, the map captures the intricate hydrography of the Scheldt estuary, including the multiple channels, polders, and islands of Zeeland such as Walcheren, Zuid-Beveland, and Schouwen-Duiveland. Towns such as Middelburg, Vlissingen (Flushing), Axel, Lillo, and Saeftinghe are shown along key navigational arteries. The cities of Ghent (Gand), Bruges, Brussels (Bruxelles), and Antwerp (Anvers) provide important urban anchors within the southern Low Countries, while smaller fortified places, road networks, and waterways are rendered with exceptional clarity.  

The chart illustrates the contested maritime access routes to the Scheldt, which had long been a point of tension between Dutch and Southern Netherlandish powers, especially regarding the closure and reopening of the river to international trade. This was of particular concern to Austrian, French, and later British interests during the 18th century, as the navigability and political control of the Scheldt directly impacted the prosperity of Antwerp and other inland ports. The note at the bottom reads "All yellow color is from the Austrian Netherlands, and all red is from the Dutch territory."

Rarity

The map is extremely rare.

We note that it was advertised in the Schlesische privilegirte Zeitung on December 22, 1784 as available at the bookshop of Wilhelm Gottlieb Korn.