West Germany

Georg Müller

This article introduces the background, organization, content, and publication plan of the atlas project "The Federal Republic of Germany in Maps." Initiated by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Regional Planning on behalf of the Interministerial Committee for Regional Planning, the atlas is jointly compiled by the Federal Statistical Office, the Institute for Regional Geography, and the Institute for Spatial Research. Based on the 1960/61 census data on population, occupations, buildings, and workplaces, combined with regional geographic and planning information, the atlas systematically presents the regional structures and their changes in the Federal Republic. It covers five major thematic sections: general overviews and administration, natural conditions, population and culture, economy, and regional classifications. Planned to be published in installments within three years, the complete work will comprise about 90 large-format maps, serving as an essential reference for government, business, and academia. The article also details the specific maps and scales included in the first installment.

Selbstanzeige

This article introduces the background, structure, and content of the atlas "The Federal Republic of Germany in Maps." Jointly edited by the Federal Statistical Office, the Institute for Regional Research, and the Institute for Regional Geography, the atlas is based on census data from 1960/61 (population, occupation, buildings, agriculture, and workplaces) and presents the natural, demographic, economic, administrative, and regional structures of West Germany through approximately 90 map sheets (about 180 multi-colored maps). The atlas aims to serve as a reference for administrative and planning authorities, highlighting regional disparities, rather than functioning as a national atlas. The article also discusses cartographic methods, data sources, and prospects for a future regional geographical atlas.

Werner Witt

This article reviews the newly published atlas "Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Karten" (The Federal Republic of Germany in Maps). It first outlines the development of thematic cartography, noting that the atlas was created as a substitute for a unified national atlas under the conditions of Germany's division. Published jointly by the Federal Statistical Office, the Institute for Regional Geography, and the Institute for Spatial Planning, the atlas aims to systematically synthesize the main results of the 1960/61 censuses. It is issued in loose-leaf format and comprises 93 maps covering nature, population, economy, and spatial planning, with a primary scale of 1:1,000,000, supplemented by 1:2,000,000 and 1:2,700,000 scales. The article provides a detailed assessment of the first 24 maps, highlighting their predominantly statistical approach complemented by geographical and planning-oriented content. The author regards the atlas as a future standard work in German thematic cartography, while regretting its high price as a barrier to wider circulation and calling for public subsidies to enhance accessibility.

К. А. Салищев

This article analyzes new trends in the development of comprehensive atlases abroad during the 1960s, focusing on three case studies: the Atlas of Normandy in France, the atlas 'The Federal Republic of Germany in Maps', and the Fitzroy Region resources atlas in Australia. The study finds that comprehensive atlases were shifting from purely scientific research tools to practical products serving regional planning and economic development. Their organization increasingly involved multi-institutional collaboration, content design emphasized thematic relevance and the integration of maps with textual commentary, while automated techniques for producing simplified statistical maps were emerging. The article also discusses mechanisms for atlas updating and the potential of automated cartographic methods.

Pierre Riquet

This article is an in-depth review of the Atlas of the Federal Republic of Germany, a joint publication by the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden and the Federal Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning in Bad Godesberg. The review details the atlas's structure, content, and characteristics, covering themes such as physical geography, population, economy, and regional division. It comments on the atlas's dual cartographic approaches: detailed 1:1,000,000 thematic maps and rapid Kartophot statistical maps. While acknowledging the atlas's significant academic and pedagogical value, the author also points out shortcomings in the selection, representation, and statistical indicators of certain maps. The review concludes by reflecting on the absence of a comparable national thematic atlas in France, advocating for a coordinated national mapping effort and improved statistical harmonization.

Henning Mørch

This is a review of the atlas "Atlas zur Raumentwicklung" Volume 4, "Bevölkerung" (Population), published in 1976 by the Federal Research Institute for Regional Geography and Regional Planning (Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landeskunde und Raumordnung) in Bonn. The review notes that the atlas comprises twelve double-page plates, each containing four maps at a scale of 1:3 million, supplemented by concise yet highly informative explanatory texts. It systematically presents regional population conditions in the Federal Republic of Germany, covering the development from 1960 to 1970 and the situation in 1970, with an additional update for 1974. The regional level is based on the "Kreis" (district), yielding approximately 70 sub-regions; one plate examines six typical smaller areas at the municipal level, and another enables comparisons within the EEC. Thematically, the atlas addresses natural population growth, net migration, total growth, and age structure. The reviewer concludes that this is a very well-edited and well-executed atlas, and although acknowledging the merits of Denmark's "Datakort Danmark," expresses considerable admiration for this work.

Ruth Helkiær Jensen

This review introduces the first issue of the 'Atlas on Spatial Development', edited by Karl Ganser and published by the Federal Research Institute for Regional Geography and Spatial Planning in Bonn in 1976, focusing on employment. Following the detailed style of the previously reviewed population atlas, it presents employment conditions with total patterns and distributions by economic sectors, enterprises, and the public sector. Unemployment analysis is extended through maps of labor market balance, supplemented by migration and commuting data, covering all of West Germany, and concludes with regional and European overviews.

Kr. M. Jensen

This is a review of fascicles 6 and 7 of the "Atlas zur Raumentwicklung" edited by Karl Ganzer. Fascicle 6 focuses on leisure and tourism, mapping the regional distribution and development of the tourism industry (1968-1973), including bed capacity and utilization rates in summer and winter, and analyzing the distribution of private accommodations versus commercial establishments. Fascicle 7 addresses land use, covering population density, agricultural and forestry areas, built-up zones, and land abandonment due to socio-economic changes, as well as land fragmentation, building land prices, and conditions in EEC countries.

Christian Wichmann Matthiessen

This is a collection of book reviews in Danish, evaluating several geographical works covering topics such as the regional geography of the USA, the economic geography of South America, the industrial geography of Brazil, a housing atlas of West Germany, the national atlas of Ireland, and the history of natural sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The reviews highlight the methodological strengths of each work, such as the use of factor analysis and electronic data processing in the regionalization of the USA, the emphasis on foreign capital in Brazil's industrial development, and the exemplary cartography of the Irish atlas. Criticisms are also noted, including the somewhat dated data in the German housing atlas and the insufficient discussion of political and social issues in the South American study. Overall, these works provide valuable resources for geographical research and teaching.

Leszek A. Kosiński

This is a collection of book reviews from the 1980 issue of the Geographical Review, evaluating three geographical works. The first review assesses a historical geography textbook of England and Wales edited by Brian Blouet, noting its weaker medieval coverage but strong treatment of the 1500-1900 period, with particularly excellent chapters by Yelling, Langton, and Smith. The second review examines the population volume of the Atlas of Regional Development published by Germany's Federal Research Institute for Regional Geography, which contains 64 maps systematically presenting population trends, birth rates, migration patterns, and age structures in West Germany from 1960 to 1985. The third review evaluates Paul Shaw's 'Canada's Farm Population,' based on the 1971 Census Agriculture-Population Linkage, which provides the first comprehensive socioeconomic profile of Canadian farm families, though it contains errors in data interpretation.

Michael Blakemore

This is an academic review of the multi-volume Atlas zur Raumentwicklung (Atlas of Regional Development) compiled by the Federal Planning Agency (BfLR) in West Germany. The ambitious eleven-volume atlas covers themes including labour, population, housing, leisure, and land use, targeting a diverse audience from local to national planning agencies, educational and research institutions, and international users. The review notes the atlas's standardized structure, with each volume containing 10-14 large map sheets accompanied by multilingual titles and explanatory graphics. Despite data primarily reflecting the late 1960s and early 1970s, the author argues that the high-quality analytical and cartographic techniques compensate for potential obsolescence. The review critically examines colour schemes, symbol design, and computer-assisted cartography, concluding that the atlas excels in visual communication and pedagogical value, marking a new era where computer techniques are routinely integrated into cartographic practice.

Henning Mørch

This is a review of the Atlas on Spatial Development, Volume 0: Administrative Boundaries, published by the Federal Research Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning in Bonn in 1982. The volume contains one map sheet measuring 60 cm, with no price indicated. It presents administrative boundaries following the 1960 reform and those of the early 1980s, covering general administrative divisions at various levels as well as specialized divisions for planning, labor market, judiciary, and other purposes. While the volume holds limited interest in isolation, it constitutes a logical and necessary component of the complete atlas series.