The map of the Polesie marshes from 1650 by Daniel Zwicker – two known copies, and two unknown copies discovered in Polish public collections
Journal Title: Polish Cartographical Review - Year 2014, Vol 46, Issue 2
Abstract
The map of the Polesie marshes from 1650 elaborated by the outstanding Socinian and physician from Gdańsk, Daniel Zwicker (1612–1678), is one of the rarest and most precious maps in the history of Polish cartography. It is also famous for showing for the first time the places where a scale insect (Porphyrophora polonica) occurs. In the middle ages larvas of this insect were used to produce a valuable raw material to obtain red pigment called carmine dye. The map was engraved and published in Gdańsk by the well-known engraver Guilielmus Hondius (after 1597–1652). According to K. Buczek (1982) the map is of little significance from a cartographic point of view, but has considerable artistic value and was probably the best map produced by G. Hondius. Until recently no copy of this map was known to exist in Polish public cartographical collections, and until now all published map references in Polish or other languages quoted only two known copies of the map preserved in foreign collections: in Dresden (Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, sign.: H. Polon. 23, III) and in Vienna (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, sign.: 389.030-F.K. 23, Taf. 42). The author’s latest research brought to light a third copy in 2011, this time in a Polish public collection – the Raczynski Library (Biblioteka Raczyńskich) in Poznań (sign.: M II 971 / 5706), which was purchased in 1985 after the death of a private collector. A fourth copy of this map was discovered by the author in the Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Warszawy) in a composite atlas by Matthäus Seutter (1678–1757) purchased in 1960. What is more, this fourth copy of the map of the marshes of Polesye is the second state of the Zwicker map from the same year – 1650 (showing, among other additional details, information about the battle of Łojowogród on 31 July 1649). The existence of a second state was already presumed by K. Buczek (1963) on the basis of a copy of that state published in a Polish translation by Stanisław Batys Gorski of a work on the said insect (Porphyrophora polonica) by J. Hamel (Wilno 1837). A fifth copy of the Zwicker map is reputed to exist in the trade. Translated by author
Authors and Affiliations
Kazimierz Kozica
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