Atlas of the German Democratic Republic
Atlas Deutsche Demokratische Republik
East Germany · H. Haack · 1976
Related Reviews & Articles
Neue Nationalatlanten : Japan und DDR
H. Boesch · 1978
This article reviews and compares two newly published national atlases: the National Atlas of Japan (English edition, 1977) and the Atlas of the German Democratic Republic (first delivery, 1976). Written from the perspective of a geographer and map author, the review focuses on overall concepts and the design of individual map sheets. Both atlases follow a conventional structure, moving from physical geography to population and economic activities, but differ in emphasis: the DDR atlas devotes more space to production in the socialist sense, while the Japanese atlas highlights services, social conditions, and cultural institutions. The atlases also differ in their use of reverse sides: the DDR atlas provides multilingual legends and additional information, whereas the Japanese atlas offers extensive textual and graphic explanations that amount to a small geographical encyclopedia. Stylistically, the Japanese atlas is more traditional, employing predominantly choropleth maps and familiar symbols, with refined drawing and restrained colors; the DDR atlas presents more novel graphic solutions, such as a road-network map combining point, line, and area elements, and a half-page map of potash and rock-salt industry. The author notes that both atlases are highly stimulating despite some debatable choices. A separate brief review discusses Fehling’s study of Australia’s iron ore economy, praised as a model of economic-geographic description, though lacking a Japanese perspective. Overall, the article offers valuable insights for national atlas comparison and cartographic design.
Der Atlas Deutsche Demokratische Republik
E. Benedict; R. Ogrissek · 1980
This article provides a comprehensive account of the publication, editing, and structure of the “Atlas Deutsche Demokratische Republik” (Atlas DDR), a national atlas of the German Democratic Republic. Produced by the Academy of Sciences of the GDR in cooperation with the VEB Hermann Haack publishing house, the atlas aims to present a spatially differentiated overview of the natural, economic, and social conditions of the GDR territory. The article first describes the editorial organization: a commission led by Prof. Edgar Lehmann, with the Institute for Geography and Geoecology in Leipzig serving as the central coordinating body. Around 200 authors contributed to the map content, and nearly 20 cartographers were involved in map editing. The map contents were largely based on new scientific research conducted over several years, and in turn, the atlas work influenced the directions of geographical research. The atlas comprises 106 maps on 58 sheets at scales from 1:750,000 to 1:2,000,000, organized into seven sections: introductory and overview maps, natural conditions, population and settlement, industry, agriculture and forestry, transport and trade, and education/social/health services. Legends are provided in German, Russian, English, French, and Spanish to underline the atlas's role as an international reference. The atlas was issued in two deliveries, the first in 1976 and the second in 1980. The article then discusses the conceptual and cartographic design principles, emphasizing the use of complex-analytical representations instead of fragmenting phenomena into numerous elementary maps. The final part uses the “Economy — Overview” map as an example to illustrate how careful selection of indicators, consistent application of design rules, and coordination with detailed special maps allow a synthetic view of the regional economic structure. The Atlas DDR is presented as a model of national atlas production, whose methodological approaches also stimulated the development of medium- and small-scale thematic cartography in the GDR.
Die Karte „Ökologische Standorttypen“ 1:750 000 im „Atlas DDR“
Helga Naumann-Tümpfel · 1980
This paper introduces the Ecological Site Type Map (Ökologische Standorttypen, scale 1:750,000) from the second series of publications of the Atlas of the German Democratic Republic (Atlas DDR). This map is dedicated to Professor Martin Schretzenmayr on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Unlike general maps with specific thematic content, this map belongs to a cartographic type characterized by a higher degree of abstraction and stronger model features, aiming to achieve a complex typification in geographical and cartographic terms based on the description of specific individual phenomena. The task of such maps is "to present, in an intuitive manner, complex facts that have been abstractly simplified." The theoretical foundation of this map is the conception of natural space as the "environment" of biological systems (organisms) in a systemic sense. Ecological quality depends on properties that are ecophysiologically relevant, i.e., significant for the life processes of organisms. The "potential supply" of water, energy (light and heat), and nutrients and building materials (including CO₂ and O₂, in addition to mineral nutrients) to plants is understood as a function of the two "determining elements": climate (atmospheric conditions) and soil (pedospheric conditions). The interaction of these ecological growth factors determines the (natural) productivity of a site. Limiting factors present at minimum or supra-optimal levels exert a decisive influence on plant development, stress resistance, and production quality. At the given scale, the three ecological growth factors—water, heat, and mineral nutrients—are most suitable for regional differentiation studies. The light factor, being strongly influenced by terrain (aspect, slope, elevation) and stand structure, cannot be represented within this framework; CO₂ in the air is uniformly sufficient everywhere; and the oxygen supply to plant roots is closely coupled with water supply, as excessive water leads to reduced soil aeration. Methodologically, the study makes full use of existing data: the climate atlas of the GDR region, climate maps from the Atlas, climatic standard values, and supplementary meteorological data; the 1:500,000 soil map of the GDR; and natural vegetation maps at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:150,000. The interpretation of soil mapping units is conducted from two independent perspectives: potential water supply and potential nutrient supply. Climate analysis employs a modified Walter climate diagram method (derived from Gaussen's proposal), utilizing monthly mean temperature and precipitation values to characterize seasonal dynamics and their ecological significance. Based on the degree of limitation in water, heat, and nutrient supply, a classification system for ecological site types is established. Site types with dual limitations (e.g., types 232 and 322) exhibit more unfavorable conditions for agricultural use, manifested in lower yields, reduced reliability of harvests, a narrowed cropping spectrum, and higher additional inputs. Sites at the outer edge of the classification triangle, with the most severe limitations, have at least one ecological growth factor at a minimum level, permitting only limited agricultural cultivation at the cost of high additional inputs, with significant impacts on yield levels, quality, and stability. In extreme cases, both agricultural and forestry use are impossible. The paper concludes that ecologically based site planning in agriculture—combined with knowledge of crop ecological requirements and deliberate regulation through breeding—enables the effective utilization of natural resources. This map provides a basis for determining the regional differentiation of relatively immutable natural production conditions.
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