Plattegrond van Würzburg 1740

This is Johann August Corvinus’s print of Würzburg, made in the early 18th century using etching. Here, the city is presented as an ordered space, contained by its fortifications. But this isn’t just a neutral record. The bird’s-eye view flattens the city, making it legible and controllable. This kind of image emerged in the context of early modern state-building. The print isn't simply a map; it's a statement about power, reflecting the desire to survey and govern territory effectively. In the German lands at this time, still divided into numerous territories, rulers were looking for ways to consolidate their authority. Maps like this served a practical purpose for military planning and resource management. It also symbolically asserted the ruler's dominion over the urban space. To understand this print fully, we might consult military archives and urban histories. Through that we can understand its complex function in the social and political life of its time.