The topographical recordings for this series of maps for what was then Prussian territory east of the Weser on a scale of 1:50,000 were made in the years 1767 to 1787 with the significant contribution of Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Graf von Schmettau. The Prussian officer and cartographer created the work against the concerns of Friedrich II, however, in consultation with the then Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm II on his own initiative and with the support of the Minister Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von der Schulenburg-Kehnert. In terms of sources, scope and content, the work represents the pinnacle of pre-official Prussian cartography. The individual leaves were hand-drawn and not intended for publication. The originals of the 270-section map series are in the possession of the Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage. With the digital Schmettauschen maps, the sections of today's Brandenburg area are georeferenced and free of page cuts as raster data. The data is provided free of charge via automated procedures or by self-extraction. When using the data, the license conditions must be observed.
