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A Rare Early Map of Slovenia
This finely engraved and richly decorated map offers a detailed representation of Slovenia in the early part of the 18th Century, under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy.
Published by Johannes Andreas Pfeffel and engraved by Johann van der Bruggen in Augsburg, the map reflects the cartographic style and imperial ambitions of the Baroque era. This particular example belongs to the second Augsburg edition of the Parvus Atlas.
The map captures the region of Slavonia after its liberation from Ottoman control and integration into the Habsburg imperial structure. Its borders are distinctly delineated with bold color outlining, particularly along the frontiers with Bosnia and other parts of Hungary and Croatia. The boundaries reflect the post-Ottoman geopolitical reality, shaped by military conquests and administrative reorganization. The region is divided into counties (comitatus) and shows the reach of Habsburg authority deep into the formerly contested frontier zones.
The Sava and Drava rivers, two principal waterways of Slavonia, anchor the map and serve both as natural borders and conduits of trade and military movement. Settlements such as Osijek (Essek), Vukovar, Požega, Brod (today Slavonski Brod), and Valpovo are prominently labeled. Mountainous terrain in the southern margins near the Bosnian border is shaded in relief, while forests and cultivated lands are also suggested through symbolic engravings.
The map’s aesthetic is thoroughly Baroque. In the lower left, a dramatic allegorical scene features personifications of wisdom and authority, accompanied by classical figures engaged in reading and writing, likely symbolizing learning, law, and divine sanctions. In the upper right corner, a cartouche labeled Regnum Slavonia is surmounted by a cherub and a winged figure holding a banner. Above this is a celestial tableau featuring a miniature inset map of Central and Eastern Europe, situating Slavonia within a broader imperial and continental context.
States
State 1: With the imprint of Johann van der Bruggen
State 2: Lacking imprint
Provenance
Szántai–Pfeffel 5b and Atlantes Austriaci Brugg A/8.
![Charte der Österreichischen Monarchie, nach den letzten Friedensschlüssen berichtigt. [Map of the Austrian Monarchy, corrected according to the latest peace treaties.]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/102892.jpg)
