Atlas of Switzerland — interactive

Summary

Lorenz Hurni describes the development and functions of the first CD-ROM edition of Atlas der Schweiz – interaktiv, the interactive statistical and 3D-topographic atlas. ETH Zurich's Institute of Cartography received responsibility for the national atlas in 1961; under Eduard Imhof, Ernst Spiess and Hurni, the printed work reached thirteen installments, 129 plates and about 600 maps by 1997. A 1995 plan proposed complementary revised print and multimedia editions. An ETH research project produced a print design and working interactive prototype by 1998, when commercial development began. The first CD-ROM followed eighteen months of collaboration among the institute, the federal topography and statistics offices, and DUPLEX. It presents about 250 statistical topics, largely from federal statistical data. Users can select areas, retrieve local indicators alongside Swiss reference values, animate municipal population change from 1850 to 1990, and highlight municipalities meeting specified thresholds. Its nationwide DHM25 elevation model, with 25-metre resolution, supports shaded maps, perspective views and panoramas with selectable viewpoints and lighting, interactive place-name queries, and custom elevation colours; Imhof's naturalistic colour scale is the default. Hurni identifies uses in public information, teaching, decision-making and interdisciplinary research, and praises the atlas's cartographic quality and integration of established expertise with new technology. He reports its 1999 ICA Honourable Mention in Ottawa before publication. Further thematic expansion was planned with ETH Council support.