Insight into the World of Cartography

11:30 – 11:45: Talk in German
14:00 – 14:15: Talk in English

Maps are ubiquitous in our lives, from GPS on our phones to atlases in classrooms. Yet few question their nature or the processes behind their creation.

This short talk will delve into the realm of critical cartography, exploring how maps have historically served as instruments of power and influence.

We will challenge the notion of maps as static, objective documents. Instead, we will consider them as dynamic, evolving constructs shaped by subjective perspectives. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of “discourse,” we will examine how maps not only represent spatial information but also organise geographical knowledge and structure our collective understanding of situations. We will investigate how maps can make certain issues visible or invisible, influence how problems are approached, and derive political power from this.

12:00 – 12:15: Talk in English
14:30 – 14:45: Talk in English

Speakers from the Maritiem Museum Rotterdam will relate the historical museum collections of Victor Victorsz and Ian Outghersz to the history of the Oosterschelde. This is a waterway located in the delta of the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The course of the Scheldt has been significantly altered by medieval storm surges. The importance of coastal profiles will be highlighted at a time when determining longitude at sea was not yet possible.

12:30 – 12:45: Talk in German
15:00 – 15:15: Talk in German

The Stadtmuseum Berlin houses several unique artefacts relating to the dynamic life and universal contributions of Alexander von Humboldt.
Among these is the Humboldt collection assembled over several decades by Prof. Dr Wolfgang-Hagen Hein, which comprises around 2,000 objects, including several maps and landscape profiles. A highlight of Humboldt’s work is the large-format coloured plate “Geography of Plants in Tropical Countries – a Natural Painting of the Andes.” This accompanied the 1807 publication “Ideas for a Geography of Plants,” Humboldt’s American travel work.