Book reviews: Atlas of the Republic of Austria

This review assesses the first installment of the Atlas of the Republic of Austria, a cartographic geographical inventory prepared under Hans Bobek. Its nineteen maps cover topography, climate, prehistory, economy, administration, land use, and Vienna’s urban structure. The atlas is intended not as a planning instrument but as an exact spatial analysis, notably extending representations beyond national borders where comparable data permit. The Vienna development maps are praised for their sophisticated and precise visual design. Criticism focuses on the land-use map’s overpowering black depiction of forests, which obscures economically important features such as viticulture, and on the problematic use of dot mapping at scales that omit statistical reference units. Despite these limitations, the reviewer regards the atlas as a major Austrian scholarly achievement and anticipates its continuation.