Geografie 1961, 66, 239-251
Czech Historical Atlases
In Czech only few historical atlases have been compiled. In fact they occur much less often than geographical atlases and are used almost solely for the purposes of schools. Historical maps - because they cannot be exclusively arranged either to geography or to history - have been so far neglected by geographers as well as by historians. New editions of historical maps have remained almost unnoticed; only pedagogical magazines brought reports on their releases, but never they met with any critical comments. Geographical and historical magazines have not usually mentioned their release at all. Though their number is really small, no list has been compiled so far summing up their editions and saying a few words on their contents and history of their origin. The fact is that compiling such a list is not an easy task, since some of the editions have not been preserved at all either in public libraries or map collections. Bibliographical lists of Czech literature - general or thematic - are not detailed enough to present a reliable picture on the compilation of historical atlases, especially as fas as the date of issue some of the editions is concerned. Moreover, we must take into consideration the well-known practice of publishers who kept the exact date of publication from their customers to make their goods sell well; consequently we have to do with a few rough estimates. The article treats of atlases arranged in chronological order by the date of their publication. With every atlas a separate paragraph is reserved to modifications alternations and history of its succeeding editions. In the bibliographical list - attached to the article - names have been arranged in alphabetical order of the most prominent authors of the atlases. A remark next to each title gives the place where the copy in question is beeing kept; if such a copy has not been found reference is being made (in brackets) to literature treating of its existence. For the convenience of school historians, numbers and dates of ministerial approbation orders (published since 1869 in the official bulletin of the Austro-hungarian Ministry of Culture and Education, since 1919 in the official bulletin of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Education) are added, as far as these atlases had been approved of as means of instruction. Even the kind of school to which the ministerial order applies - is stated. The list is the first systematic bibliography of Czech historical atlases. It offers the necessary documentation and a firm basis for more detailed studies of this kind.
