Europa Regina. 16th century maps of Europe in the form of a queen

• Main Author: Peter Meurer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Société Royale Belge de Géographie and the Belgian National Committee of Geography 2008-12-01
• Series: Belgeo
• Subjects: Europe; Johannes Putsch; Charles V; anthropomorphic map; mnemonic map; political cartography
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/7711

The article sheds new light and data on a special group of 16th century anthropomorphic maps. Adopting the antique myth of the Phoenician princess Europa, they show Europe with the outlines of a female figure. The archetype version (Paris 1537) was created by Johannes Putsch (1516–1542), a Tyrolean poet and courtier. An accompanying poem illustrates the origins of this symbolism in contemporary politics. The map is a glorification of the House of Habsburg, with the expression of a general hope for peace. Many strange map details can be explained from historical constellations. Later reduced adoptions of the map in works by Heinrich Bünting (1587ff.) and Sebastian Münster (1588ff.) have lost the political backgrounds in favour of a simple didactical purpose. Another copy was designed and engraved in 1587 by Matthias Quad (1557–1613) for the Cologne publisher Johann Bussemacher. It had its own roots in the contemporary wars in the Lower Rhinelands.