Historic Map : Delamarche Map of Germany, Prussia and The Germanic Confederation, 1850, Vintage Wall Art

This is a beautiful example of Alexandre Delamarche's 1850 map of Germany and the Austrian empire. It covers the German states from the border with Holland and Belgium eastward as far as Poland and Russia and from Holsteto the Adriatic. Includes the modern day countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Prussia attained its greatest importance in the 18th and 19th centuries when it dominated northern Germany politically, economically, and in population. The German Confederation, created in 1814, acted as a buffer zone between Austria and Prussia, its two largest and most powerful member states. Nonetheless the rivalry between the two powerful states increased until it finally broke out into the Austro-Prussian War. Prussia won the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 which ultimately led to the collapse of the German Confederation. A few years later, in 1871, most of the former Confederation states were folded into the newly proclaimed German empire.

Throughout, the map identifies various cities, towns, rivers, mountain passes and an assortment of additional topographical details. Political and regional borders are highlighted in outline color. This map was issued by Delamarche as plate no. 25 in his Atlas Delamarche Geographie Modern.