Die Typisierung als Problem der kartographischen Darstellung im „Atlas DDR“

Summary

This paper explores typification as a core methodological issue in the compilation of the Atlas of the German Democratic Republic (Atlas DDR). Modern geography has shifted from a descriptive science to the study of the functions and structures of specific regions of the Earth, a development also reflected in thematic cartography. To represent spatial complexes on maps, the key to typification lies in combining the characteristics that define a given spatial complex, achieved through abstraction and generalization. If the intuitive principles of abstraction and simplification can be integrated with the legend in thematic maps, high expressive power can be attained. The Atlas DDR does not pursue encyclopedic content enumeration; each map serves as an exemplary case, with 52 maps collectively forming a comprehensive statement on the territory of the GDR. Among these, 18 physical geography main maps account for 36%, a relatively high proportion compared to previous regional atlases. Complex or comprehensive maps constitute the core at a scale of 1:750,000, supplemented by scales such as 1:500,000, 1:1,000,000, and 1:1,500,000. Although this scale does not conform to international recommendations, it suits the national conditions of the GDR and facilitates comparison with national atlases of countries such as Switzerland and Poland. The compilation work was organized into three editorial groups—physical geography, economic geography, and cartographic techniques—centered at the Leipzig Institute for Regional Geography of Germany. The article uses the transport map as an example to illustrate the difficulty of typification: transport maps are generally underdeveloped in national atlases worldwide, lacking comprehensive transport imagery. The transport map designed by G. Jacob typifies based on administrative districts and value hierarchies by analyzing the spatial relationships between road networks and settlement density, as well as freight and passenger transport with settlement networks, thereby revealing functional hinterlands and transport accessibility. Finally, it is emphasized that the principle of typification runs throughout the compilation, extracting spatial types (structural spaces, functional spaces, suitability spaces) according to natural, economic, and socio-cultural characteristics. Cartographic success depends on close cooperation between geographers and cartographers, with cartographers needing to creatively understand geographical concepts to convey geographical research results in an optimal manner.