Holdings
Göttingen State and University Library intensively collects and catalogues German as well as foreign maps and atlases on all regions of the world and all topic areas. The Map Collection is divided into the holdings of older maps and atlases and those published after 1945.
It comprises around
- 300,000 map sheets
- 9,000 atlases
- 20,000 explanations
- topographical maps of around 120 states in various scales
- 65,000 old maps
- a reference section with the most important literature on cartography
Readers’ services
Publications belonging to the holdings of the Map Collection can be recognized in the Göttingen University Catalogue by the location mark KTS. A regional or systematic search is made possible by using the Göttingen Online Classification (GOK).
In the Reading Room of the Map Collection in the Historical Building of the library you will find almost all atlases on open access. Map sheets from more recent topographical and thematic map series will be delivered directly to the reader.
Materials can also be ordered in advance by phone or email and will be ready for consultation for you during your visit.
The holdings are not available for extramural loan, but they can be scanned or copied by the reader or by the copying service of the library. Readers may use a DIN A2 colour scanner free of charge in case the original allows a digitisation.
The terms of usage for materials with publication dates before 1900 can be requested from the staff in the Map Collection.
History
Maps have been a specifically well-maintained collection subject since the founding of the Göttingen University Library.
In addition to continuous active procurement efforts, the library has received generous donations of many valuable collections over the years: the Johann Hinrich von Bülow Collection with valuable atlases by Blaew and Jansson, the Johann Michael Frantz Collection (Frantz having been a close friend of Johann Baptist Homann), the collection of Surgeon General Baron Georg Thomas von Asch with rare maps from Russia and Asia, the bequest from Johann Beckmann, and the donation from Arthur Breusing with valuable maps by Ortelius and Mercator.
The university's map collection was incorporated into the Geographical Institute in 1888. Since 1945, the University Library has been reconstructing its holdings of topographic and thematic maps with systematic acquisitions, which are meticulously maintained still today.
In 1988, the old map holdings were returned to the Göttingen State and University Library by the Geographical Institute, and were catalogued anew with considerable effort (IKAR-Database of old Maps) and lovingly restored. All of these are once again available for public use.
The specialist collection subject
Göttingen State and University Library has been maintaining the specialist collection subject (SSG) „Thematic Maps” in the supra-regional literature supply system for science and research since 1975, which is funded by the German Research Association (DFG).
The specialist collection subject programme of the DFG ensures with its distributed subject area schedule that at least one copy of every scientifically relevant publication is available in Germany, and can be made available to for scientific research by way of inter-library loans and copy services.
The specialist collection subject „Thematic Maps” focusses on the collection of scientifically relevant maps and atlases on all regions of the world and all topics areas with the exception of nautical charts and meteorological maps.
Last Changed 23.03.2012