Unser Ehrenmitglied Eduard Imhof – ein großer Kartograph, Wissenschaftler und Künstler – ist heimgegangen

Summary

This commemorative article reviews the life, scholarship, and enduring influence of Eduard Imhof (1895–1986), the eminent Swiss cartographer, scientist, artist, and honorary member of the Austrian Geographical Society. Drawing on biographical records, earlier appreciations, and a supplementary bibliography of works published from 1980 onward, the author traces Imhof’s development from a surveying engineer and lecturer at ETH Zurich to a professor and internationally recognized leader in cartography. Particular attention is given to his pioneering representation of mountainous terrain. By combining geomorphological analysis, geodetic precision, field verification through mountaineering, oblique hill shading, and atmospheric color perspective, Imhof created relief maps of exceptional accuracy, clarity, and artistic power. His major publications, especially Gelände und Karte, Kartographische Geländedarstellung, and Thematische Kartographie, systematized his practical knowledge and became internationally influential reference works. The article also highlights his direction of the Atlas of Switzerland, his design of school atlases and wall maps, and his role in strengthening map literacy in Switzerland. Internationally, Imhof helped establish the International Cartographic Association, served as its first president, and founded and edited the International Yearbook of Cartography. His late essay “Glanz und Elend der Kartographie,” regarded as his cartographic testament, warned that new technologies in untrained hands could undermine visual quality and professional standards. The article concludes that Imhof’s integration of science, engineering, pedagogy, field experience, and art fundamentally advanced modern cartography and established lasting standards for accurate, intelligible, and aesthetically compelling map design.