Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen

Summary

This article traces the development of the German geographical journal Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen from its establishment in 1855 to its closure in 2004. Combining scientific travel reports, reviews of geographical and cartographic literature, and innovative maps, the journal became distinctive as an internationally influential, privately managed commercial publication unaffiliated with a scholarly society or state institution. The account examines changes in title, publication frequency, supplements, editorial policy, and representative cartographic works. Under Alexander Supan, the journal became more academically oriented, while Paul Langhans reduced its extensive review section and emphasized military and human geography, travel narratives, and photography. War, depression, and disciplinary institutionalization subsequently diminished its size, international scope, and cartographic production. Nevertheless, its maps, monographic supplements, and comprehensive reviews remain indispensable sources for the histories of geography, exploration, and cartography.