Atlas Deutsche Demokratische Republik

Summary

This article provides a critical review of the "Atlas of the German Democratic Republic". The atlas contains 105 maps, with a focus on physical geography at a scale of 1:750,000. Its compilation began in the late 1950s, and the data largely reflects the state of the mid-1960s. Although the atlas excels in physical geographic cartography, its economic and social maps suffer from outdated information, vague legends, and a lack of quantitative data. The article attributes these shortcomings to the GDR's restrictive information policy and a deficit in regional geographic theory. Despite these flaws, the atlas retains significant value for its comprehensive regional geographic coverage of the GDR, particularly for West Germany, where it can inform the improvement of teaching materials and school atlases.