Museum in the knight’s house invites you.
(BZ). From August 2nd to January 29th, 2023, the museum in the Ritterhaus will be showing America’s “small baptismal certificate” again in the original. The extremely rare and sensitive globe segment map is also the focus of the museum’s Long Thursday on August 4th.
According to the museum, Martin Waldseemller’s map is one of the most important cartographic works in world history. More than 500 years ago, a circle of scholars in St. Di-des-vosges in Alsace created a three-part set of maps that is considered America’s baptismal certificate. The map series of the humanistic circle consisted of three parts: a book describing the then known earth, a large map of the world and a “handicraft sheet” with printed segments of the world map. This could be cut out and glued to a wooden ball, resulting in a small, handy globe.
In 1507 this work was printed and distributed for the first time. Only one of the large world maps survives, it is currently preserved in the United States. At least four of the globe segment maps to cut out have so far been found worldwide. But only Offenburg regularly shows its copy to the public in the original. According to the museum, the rarity and great age of this printed work require very special conservation measures, which is why the map must not be permanently exposed to environmental influences such as light. It should therefore be shown for a maximum of six months.
The “Long Thursday” on August 4th, 2022 is on the occasion of the return of the original under the motto “America”. On this day, young and old visitors can make small globes to take home.
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