Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Habsburg cartography was guided completely by military and strategic interests and needs.
Highly aware of the extreme importance of knowing the border area in the strategy of
warfare, Habsburg cartographers had already surveyed and mapped the territory long
before the 18
th
century. The occasion of the peace treaty of 1699 and the need to fix the new
border between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire was the direct cause of
the first topographical survey along the border.
The central interest in the new border is shown on Christoph Weigl's Map of the Imperial -
Turkish border after the peace treaty, presumably around 1702 (Figure 3) [20,24]. The main
theme of the map is the border, which is the most expressive element on the entire map as
well as the territory of Habsburg Monarchy, which is the only colored element. The color
has always been a very strong tool. Different colors send different messages to the audience.
Strong, cardinal colors like red color for instance, as employed on Weigl's map, were always
the imperial colors etc. On the other side, we are discovering silencing: there is not much
content outside the borderline, but again a rich inventory of military fortifications on the
margins of the map, communicating the undisputable power, security and the organization
of the Monarchy.
4.2. Communicating the political program
There is an example of more specific approach to the territory and borders of Croatia,
exercising the internal power of map aiming to formulate a political program. Pavao
Ritter Vitezović, Croatian cartographer and representative in the demarcation
commission in the occasion of Peace Treaty of Srijemski Karlovci (1699) between
Habsburg Monarchy and Ottoman Empire, dissatisfied with the newly established
borders, tried to present to the Austrian court his view of the “real historical” borders
and territory of Croatia [25].The Map of the whole Kingdom of Croatia (Figure 4)
represents the entire kingdom of Croatia in its ancient, historical limits as confirmed by
the king Ludovic in the 16
th
century. Along with the 1699 demarcation, he drew in the
former borders. The eastern border follows the line of the Vrbas river in contrast to the
actual one on the river Una, lying more westerly and thus, compressing the Croatian
territory. The map was followed by the document “Croatia Rediviva” (1700) [26]
altogether aiming to produce and communicate the knowledge of considerably larger
territory of “historical” Croatia. Vitezović's map is, among other contexts which will be
discussed later, exercising the internal power of cartography in power/knowledge matrix
and communicating political ideas and program to the targeted audience.
All these examples clearly show the external and internal power of map that is not
necessarily separated. One particular map can express both - the external power which is
imposed from above, especially when cartography became nationalized, but also the
internal power, exercised by cartographers themselves, that is related to the context of
cartographer.
