Book reviews: Atlas of the Republic of Austria

Summary

This review assesses the first installment of the Atlas of the Republic of Austria, a representative national atlas edited by the Austrian Academy of Sciences under Hans Bobek. Planned to comprise 115–120 sheets, the atlas systematically covers Austria’s natural environment, historical development, settlement, population, economy, administration, culture, and politics. The inaugural installment includes topographic, climatic, prehistoric settlement, land-use, transport, tourism, administrative, ecclesiastical, and electoral maps. Particularly innovative are the highly differentiated maps of Vienna, which integrate construction periods, building height and density, and surrounding land use. Although spatial-planning implications remain tentative, the atlas demonstrates strong analytical breadth and promising approaches to regional synthesis. Its sophisticated cartographic design, effective visualization methods, and excellent printing quality establish it as an authoritative geographical reference and create high expectations for subsequent installments.