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This detailed and finely engraved map depicts the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, a crownland of the Austrian Empire, during the first half of the 19th century, regions which are now part of Poland and western Ukraine.
Stretching along the northern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains, Galicia forms a long, narrow territory that bordered the Kingdom of Hungary to the south, the Russian Empire to the east, and the Polish lands under Russian and Prussian control to the north and west. The map details the division of Galicia into 19 administrative districts (Kreise), each outlined in delicate hand-coloring, and includes major towns, rivers, and mountains with precision. Settlements are classified into six size categories, from villages to cities, and are distinguished by label type. The map includes three distance scales and a brief glossary with German, Hungarian, and Polish terms. Castles, monasteries, universities, major roads, and rivers are identified.
Important urban centers are clearly marked, including Lemberg (modern-day Lviv), the provincial capital, as well as Przemyśl, Tarnów, Stanislawów (Ivano-Frankivsk), Czernowitz (Chernivtsi), and Rzeszów. Other key towns like Zolkiew, Brody, Kolomea (Kolomyia), and Sambor are shown, many of which were vital commercial, administrative, or cultural hubs. The map carefully delineates the course of important rivers such as the Dniester (Dniestr), flowing eastward toward the Black Sea, and the San, an important tributary of the Vistula, critical for trade and agriculture. The Carpathian Mountains form a natural southern boundary, rendered with shaded relief to emphasize the rugged terrain.
During the first half of the 19th century, Galicia was a diverse and politically significant region of the Austrian Empire. Acquired during the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Galicia became a focal point of imperial administration, serving both as a buffer zone against Russia and as a source of agricultural wealth, particularly grain and salt. Its population was ethnically and religiously mixed, including Poles, Ruthenians (Ukrainians), Jews, Germans, and Armenians. Economically, Galicia remained largely rural and underdeveloped compared to western Austria, but efforts at modernization, educational reform, and improved transportation began to take root during this period. The region’s strategic position also made it a site of frequent military interest.
Weiland’s 1832 map captures Galicia at a time when national consciousness among Poles and Ruthenians was beginning to stir, laying the foundations for the future political tensions and transformations that would unfold later in the 19th century.
