Der Nationalatlas Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Ein Großprojekt des Instituts für Länderkunde

Summary

This paper systematically discusses the background, concept, organization, and realization process of the National Atlas of the Federal Republic of Germany (Nationalatlas Bundesrepublik Deutschland). As the largest project of the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL), the atlas aims to comprehensively present the spatial structures of reunified Germany through maps, graphics, and texts. The article reviews the historical tradition of national atlases and elaborates on the complex journey from project initiation in 1992 to the publication of the first volume in 1999, including conceptual design, fundraising, organizational development, and multi-party coordination. The project was ultimately planned as a 12-volume work covering society, economy, environment, and other domains, with both print and electronic editions. The atlas is regarded as an important scientific tool reflecting Germany's spatial disparities, combining academic rigor with public accessibility, and its successful publication marks a significant achievement in German geography and cartography.