West Germany西德

Georg Müller

This article presents the atlas project "Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Karten" (The Federal Republic of Germany in Maps), initiated by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Regional Planning and jointly compiled by the Federal Statistical Office, the Institute for Regional Geography and the Institute for Spatial Research. The atlas aims to fill the gap of a comprehensive structural atlas of the Federal Republic. It cartographically evaluates the 1960/61 censuses of population, occupation, buildings and workplaces, and combines these with regional geography and spatial issues. The complete work will comprise about 90 large sheets (82.5 x 112 cm) covering general overviews and administrative divisions, natural conditions, population and culture, economy, and regional classifications. Maps are based on municipalities or counties, using scales such as 1:1 million, 1:2 million and 1:2.7 million. The atlas is being published in instalments to ensure rapid availability; the first delivery appeared in early 1965 and includes maps on administrative boundaries, climate, population density, migration, housing, agriculture, industry, tax revenue and natural regions. The atlas provides an essential basis for federal spatial planning and research, and is also valuable for government agencies, the economy and academia.

Werner Witt

Thematic cartography has expanded rapidly in recent decades, producing comprehensive regional and national atlases. The new atlas 'Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Karten' (The Federal Republic of Germany in Maps) is the first comprehensive national atlas of West Germany. Published under the auspices of the Federal Statistical Office, the Institute for Regional Geography and the Institute for Spatial Research, it aims to provide a cartographic inventory of all spatially relevant facts, especially the results of the 1960/61 censuses. The atlas deliberately combines statistical maps with geographic and regional-planning maps, although it is not designed as a planning atlas itself. It will consist of about 93 map sheets in three deliveries, arranged by sections: nature, population, health and education, economy, and regional divisions. The loose-leaf format allows flexible use; scales are 1:1,000,000 for community-level data, 1:2,000,000 for county data, and 1:2,700,000 for comparative multi-map sheets. The first delivery (24 sheets) covers administrative boundaries, soils, land quality, precipitation, groundwater, population density and change, religion, foreign workers, housing, agricultural land use, industry location, and regional assistance areas. Because the maps are largely analytical rather than synthetic, users must integrate them; this is accepted as a necessary trade-off to allow multiple interpretations. The atlas also mirrors Germany's division: a separate national atlas is being prepared for East Germany. The author judges the cartographic execution excellent and the data reliable, but criticises the high price. He argues that the atlas, as an important tool for spatial planning and public education, should be made affordable through public subsidies. Overall, the work promises to become a standard reference in thematic cartography.

This article announces the atlas "Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Karten", jointly produced by three German research institutes. Based on the 1960/61 censuses, it presents regional differences in social, economic, and cultural conditions across West Germany. The atlas is organized into five sections and uses district and municipality data at scales of 1:1 million and 1:2 million. It serves as an inventory for administration and planning rather than a national atlas, and is intended as a foundation for a future geographic regional atlas.

Pierre Riquet

This article comprises two review notes. The first reviews *Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Karten*, a national atlas of West Germany produced by the Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Institute for Regional Studies and Planning. The atlas presents thematic maps at 1:1,000,000 covering administrative divisions, natural conditions, population, economy, and regional planning, supplemented by machine-generated "Kartophot" maps. The reviewer praises the atlas's rich detail and harmonization of cartographic work, but criticizes the lack of vegetation and demographic age-structure maps, and the poor representation of some statistical data. He also draws lessons for France, urging the creation of a comparable national thematic atlas. The second note summarizes Wilhelm Lutz's monograph on Gröden, a high Dolomite valley in South Tyrol. Lutz examines the valley's physical setting, medieval colonization, and settlement patterns, arguing that dispersed versus grouped settlements reflect socio-economic stages rather than ethnic differences. The valley's economy has long centered on woodworking (sculpture and turning) and more recently on tourism. Together, these notes demonstrate the value of detailed regional mapping and interdisciplinary research.

Ruth Helkiær Jensen

This review discusses the first volume (Work) of the Atlas on Spatial Development, edited by Karl Ganser. Following the detailed cartographic style of the previously reviewed population atlas, this work systematically maps employment patterns in the Federal Republic of Germany, including sectoral distribution, enterprises, and the public sector. Unemployment analysis is extended into informative maps of labor market balance. Additional topics include migration and commuting, complemented by regional plates and European overviews, making it a valuable reference for regional planning and labor geography.

Kr M. Jensen

This review examines installments 6 and 7 of the Atlas zur Raumentwicklung, edited by Karl Ganzer. Part 6, on leisure, maps regional tourism patterns and seasonal utilization, notably revealing a high proportion of private accommodation and long stays. Part 7, on land use, presents population density, agricultural and built-up areas, and highlights the phenomenon of “Sozialbrache” (social fallow) caused by farmland fragmentation. The reviewer also notes that using administrative districts as mapping units may affect readability. Overall, the atlas offers valuable cartographic material for regional development research.

Michael Blakemore

This review assesses the multi-volume Atlas zur Raumentwicklung published by the Federal Planning Agency (BfLR) in 1979–80. Covering themes such as labour, population, housing, leisure, and land use, the atlas targets a broad audience ranging from national and local planning agencies to educational and research institutions, as well as interested readers outside West Germany. The author examines its structural organization, data currency, multilingual legends, colour schemes, and computer-assisted cartographic techniques, noting both strengths and limitations. While some colour choices may confuse readers and the absence of a simultaneous administrative-boundaries volume is seen as a logistical shortcoming, the atlas is praised for its graphic quality, effective information design, and successful integration of computer methods. Overall, it constitutes a valuable reference for West German regional planning and demonstrates that computer techniques have become a practical tool in modern cartography, offering lessons beyond its intended purpose.

Henning Mørch

This review describes the atlas volume "Atlas zur Raumentwicklung. 0: Verwaltungsgrenzen" published by the Federal Research Institute for Regional Geography and Regional Planning in Bonn (1982). The volume maps administrative boundaries after the 1960 reform and early 1980s reforms, covering general administrative divisions at various levels as well as special-purpose divisions for planning, labor market, and judicial administration. While the volume alone is of limited interest, it constitutes a logical and necessary component of the complete atlas series. The review briefly notes the atlas's format and origin, placing it within the context of earlier reviewed volumes.