East Germany

Edgar Lehmann

The development of geography from a descriptive science to a branch of research which investigates function and structure of certain parts of the earth, is also reflected in the modern thematic cartography. That becomes especially evident when there is the task of cartographically illustrating spatial complexes. As to method, in typification the point is that such features are combined which characterize a spatial complex. Typification is attained by means of abstraction. If you succeed in thematic maps in combining abstraction with the principle of a simplifying illustration, an important statement, easily explained by the legend, is guaranteed. Most main maps of the "Atlas GDR" on which, in the scale of 1 : 750 000, complexes of phenomenons of physis, economy, or society are represented as partial complexes are of a synthetic character. The method of cartographic typification permitting to elaborate space-types of a certain category is exposed by means of various examples.

H. Boesch

This paper compares two national atlases published in the 1970s: the National Atlas of Japan (English edition, 1977) and the Atlas of the German Democratic Republic (first delivery, 1976). Although both share a similar basic structure—from overview and physical geography to population and economy—they differ significantly in content emphasis: the GDR atlas prioritizes socialist production, while the Japanese atlas focuses more on services, social conditions, and cultural institutions. Furthermore, the GDR atlas utilizes the reverse sides of map sheets for multilingual legends and supplementary information, whereas the Japanese atlas provides extensive textual and graphic explanations for each thematic section, resembling a small geographic encyclopedia. The paper also discusses cartographic style, color usage, scale differences, and the application of semiology in thematic mapping, noting that the Japanese atlas is more traditional while the GDR atlas is more modern in symbol standardization.

E. Benedict; R. Ogrissek

The "Atlas of the German Democratic Republic" is a national atlas compiled by the Academy of Sciences of the GDR in cooperation with the VEB Hermann Haack publishing house, under the leadership of a commission chaired by Prof. Edgar Lehmann. The atlas aims to systematically present the regional structures of nature, economy, and society in the GDR, serving both informational and cognitive purposes. It contains 106 maps organized into seven groups, covering natural conditions, population and settlements, industry, agriculture and forestry, transport and trade, and education and social welfare, with scales ranging from 1:750,000 to 1:2,000,000. The compilation involved about 200 authors and nearly 20 cartographers, based on years of research, with emphasis on integrated and typified representations to avoid excessive fragmentation. The atlas was published in two installments, with legends translated into Russian, English, French, and Spanish to enhance international accessibility. The article also details design principles, such as the economic overview map, which uses selected indicators and complex-analytical methods to depict regional economic structures in harmony with detailed thematic maps. The atlas not only provides comprehensive information for domestic and international users but also advanced thematic cartography in the GDR.

Helga Naumann-Tümpfel

This article explains the conceptual foundations, data sources, methodology, classification system, and practical significance of the 1:750,000 map “Ecological Site Types,” prepared for the second installment of the Atlas of the German Democratic Republic. Conceived as a model-oriented thematic map, it moves beyond the depiction of isolated natural phenomena toward a geographical and cartographic typification of complex environmental relationships. The natural environment is treated, in systems-theoretical terms, as the surroundings of biological systems. Its ecological qualities are therefore defined only by properties that are ecophysiologically relevant to organisms, especially plants. Plant growth, development, productivity, product quality, and resistance to diseases and pests depend primarily on the potential supply of water, energy, and nutrients or structural substances. For regional mapping, the study focuses on water, heat, and mineral nutrients, while light, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and root-zone oxygen are either unsuitable for representation at the selected scale or indirectly incorporated into other factors. Climate and soil are regarded as determining environmental components rather than directly acting growth factors; their interaction controls the natural productivity of a site. Particular importance is assigned to limiting factors that fall below, or exceed, the relative optimum. The map was compiled using nationally consistent information from climate atlases, climatological normals, meteorological records, the 1:500,000 soil map, and maps of potential natural vegetation. Soil mapping units were interpreted separately according to their capacity to provide water and mineral nutrients, allowing pedologically different soil associations with similar ecological behavior to be grouped together. Climatic conditions were evaluated through a modified Walter–Gaussen climate-diagram method, which integrates the seasonal relationship between temperature and precipitation and thus better reflects ecological conditions during the growing period than separate climatic-element maps. These evaluations were synthesized into ecological site types represented by numerical codes expressing different levels and combinations of water, heat, and nutrient supply. Types near the center of the classification indicate comparatively balanced conditions and high natural productivity. Inner groups show a moderate limitation of one or two factors—for example, water deficits in dry regions, heat deficits in northeastern or submontane areas, and nutrient limitations on sandy, stony, or base-poor soils. Outer groups are characterized by severe minima, sharply restricted crop choice, lower and less reliable yields, greater management costs, and, in extreme cases, the impossibility of agricultural or forestry use. Irrigation and other ameliorative measures, fertilization, suitable crop and cultivar selection, and ecologically informed cultivation can partly compensate for such limitations. The map thus provides a scientific basis for regional agricultural planning, efficient use of natural resources, and further research on crop suitability and the spatial occurrence of diseases and pests, although detailed recommendations for individual crops and pathogens remain beyond the article’s scope.

Hans Richter

This article discusses the cartographic conception of the map "Land Use and Natural Conditions" at a scale of 1:750,000, which is part of the "Atlas of the German Democratic Republic". The map belongs to the group of "Natural Foundations" within the atlas and is designed to fulfill two tasks: first, to depict the current, technically altered state of natural conditions, and second, to demonstrate some essential relationships between the natural foundations and their utilization by society. Due to the extensive range of features and relationships characterizing both sub-complexes, a complete solution to these tasks in a single map is not feasible. The author posits that the map's design principles make it better suited to demonstrate essential aspects of the current state of natural conditions, while statements regarding the second task require considerably more interpretation. The article elaborates on the theoretical basis, suggesting that combining land use and natural conditions is the most suitable approach for such an overview map, and reviews examples of maps at various scales. The core problem in designing the map was to capture the spatial structures determined by both sub-complexes using a limited number of combination forms. To achieve this, overview maps for both complexes were designed, and the cartographic combination and legend were then coordinated step by step. Regarding land use, only the main forms forming the stable framework of the land use structure were considered, and these were consolidated into five land use complexes. For natural conditions, the map "Natural Area Types" from the atlas served as the base, and by merging geo-ecologically related content, the legend was reduced to a quarter of its original size. The article also discusses the principles of generalization, area measurement methods, and the map's application in planning practice and geographical research.

Rüdiger Spengler

This article provides a detailed account of the conception, content, and hydrographic insights of map sheet 10, "Hydrographische Übersicht" (Hydrographic Overview), at a scale of 1:750,000, part of the "Atlas DDR". The map, created under the specialist editorship of L. Bauer, was designed to be consistent with sheet 11, "Hydrologische Übersicht" (Hydrological Overview). The paper first explains the map's key elements: watersheds and catchment areas are shown down to the IVth order, with thresholds for area (>500 km²), mean discharge (>2 m³/s), and flood discharge (>50 m³/s). The river network, derived from the 1:200,000 overview map, includes all perennial watercourses longer than 2 km, supplemented by smaller ones selectively, and is accompanied by 1:250,000 insets illustrating characteristic drainage patterns. Standing waters are represented if larger than 100 hectares, with reservoirs (capacity >1 hm³) distinctly marked. As an innovative feature, the map presents drainage density using area colors and a seven-class geometric scale (thresholds from 0.05 to 3.80 km/km²), with class boundaries adjusted to natural features. The article then offers an overview of the GDR's hydrography, emphasizing that network form and density correlate more strongly with paleogeographic conditions than with runoff levels. It details the evolution of the drainage system from the Late Tertiary, influenced by tectonics, salt dissolution, and multiple glacial stages. The hydrography of major natural regions, from the Baltic coast to the central uplands, is systematically described. A significant portion is dedicated to anthropogenic changes, tracing the impact of historical water management, modern river engineering, and drainage projects, which have fundamentally altered many river systems. The article concludes that contemporary lowland management must balance rapid spring drainage with irrigation needs during the growing season.

E. Lehmann

Emphasis is laid on the characterization of national atlases as exact means of information and communication which are visually easy to handle. Besides a true-to-scale location of the features of particular objects and groups of objects national atlases offer the opportunity of obtaining starting points for the registration of spatial structures and functions by means of analysing the positional interconnections of these objects and groups of objects, without anticipating causal connections. The static of the maps, which is often considered as a negative characteristics of national atlases, increases the value and efficacy of this category of atlases instead of decreasing them.