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This map illustrates the Swabian Circle (Circulus Suevicus), one of the Imperial Circles of the Holy Roman Empire. The Swabian Circle was a significant political and administrative entity encompassing numerous duchies, bishoprics, counties, and Free Imperial Cities within what is now southwestern Germany.
Several important towns and cities are represented on the map, reflecting the commercial, political, and ecclesiastical significance of the Swabian Circle. Stuttgart, the capital of the Duchy of Württemberg, appears prominently, along with Ulm, a major Free Imperial City and a key economic center. Augsburg, another Free Imperial City, played an essential role in trade and finance. Other notable cities include Reutlingen, known for its textile industry; Ravensburg, a Free Imperial City and member of the Swabian League; and Tübingen, home to one of Germany’s oldest universities. Konstanz, the seat of the Prince-Bishopric of Konstanz, and Memmingen, a prosperous Free Imperial City, are also likely depicted. Further towns of note include Freiburg, a Habsburg-controlled city, Heilbronn, known for its viticulture, and Pforzheim, a center for jewelry-making and trade.
Rivers played a crucial role in delineating territorial boundaries and facilitating trade within the Swabian Circle. The Rhine River, forming part of the region’s western boundary, was an essential trade artery connecting Swabia to the Low Countries. The Danube River, flowing through Ulm, provided a key transportation route across Central Europe. The Neckar River, running through Stuttgart, connected Württemberg’s interior to the Rhine. Additionally, the Iller River, marking part of the border between Bavaria and Swabian territories, and the Lech River, passing through Augsburg, were significant waterways that structured the region’s geography.
The Swabian Circle comprised numerous territories, each maintaining a degree of autonomy while being part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Duchy of Württemberg, the largest and most powerful state in the Circle, is prominently outlined. The Margraviate of Baden, at the time divided into several smaller jurisdictions, is also included. Ecclesiastical territories such as the Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg, the Prince-Bishopric of Konstanz, and the Prince-Bishopric of Speyer appear, reflecting the influence of the Catholic Church in the region. Several noble-controlled counties, including the County of Hohenlohe, the County of Montfort, and the County of Fürstenberg, are depicted, showing the fragmented nature of Swabian governance. Free Imperial Cities such as Ulm, Augsburg, Nördlingen, and Memmingen are also present, marking urban centers that reported directly to the Holy Roman Emperor.
Gerard Valk, or Gerrit Leendertsz Valck (1652-1726) together with his son Leonard, were the only significant publishers of globes in the Netherlands in the eighteenth century, enjoying an almost total monopoly in the first half of the 1700's. Initially an engraver and art dealer, and having worked for map-sellers Christopher Browne and David Loggan in London between 1672 and 1679, Valk established the firm in Amsterdam in 1687. Initially, they published maps and atlases, but in 1700 the company moved the shop to the building previously occupied by map and globe-maker Jodocus Hondius. In 1701, he applied for a charter for making globes and the "Planetolabium", designed by Lotharius Zumbach de Coesfelt (1661-1727), an astronomy lecturer at Leiden University. The Valks produced several editions of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24-inch diameter terrestrial and celestial globes. The cartography, as stated on the cartouche, is based closely on the celestial atlas Uranographia, published in 1687 by the celebrated Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687).
Around 1711, when he became a member of the bookseller's guild, Leonard Valk (1675-1746) came into partnership and his name started to appear alongside that of his father on the cartouches of the globes, although the earliest of these, both terrestrial and celestial, still bear the date 1700. Leonard naturally took over the business on his father's death in 1726, and following his own death in 1746 the firm was run by Maria Valk, cousin, and wife to Gerard. By then its days of glory had passed. Leonard Valk died in relative poverty: his wife had to take in the washing of their aunt to make ends meet. The late eighteenth century saw a number of successful reissues by publisher Cornelis Covens (1764-1825), who ran the famous cartographical publishing house of Covens & Mortier (1721-1866) in Amsterdam. This firm was the biggest Dutch one for publishing maps in the 18th century. It was located on the Vijgendam (Fig Dam), the southern part of what is now Dam Square, the central hub of the city. They didn't move out of their building, but they did change addresses. At first in 1795 the whole Dam was rebaptized into Revolution Square, then it got the name Napoleon Square, till in 1813 after Napoleon's fall Covens & Mortier were back again at the Vijgendam.
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