Mission und Kartographie

Abstract

Even though German Catholic missions were relatively short-lived, they inspired numerous cartographic works for their staff were sent to still unfamiliar and little charted territories. The aim of this presentation is to identify that type of production in specialized journals and assess the importance they had. The period considered is that of colonial expansion but also of evangelization which World War One brought to a sudden stop in Germany's case. Yet, when one is studying missionary atlas, which are specific and dated cartographic objects, their authors so often appear to be German missionaries that those works have to be considered as a typically German specialty. Which process has led from the drawing of a few isolated maps to a production that became of interest to missions and even missiology at its beginnings ?

Keywords

• Mission
• Missiology
• Cartography
• German colonies