Bird’s-eye View Germany – 1937

A stunning mid-century pictorial map of Germany, produced as internal and international debate raged regarding the extent and possibility of German reunification.

The map shows the German borders in the midst of Nazi rule. The German state that existed on December 31, 1937, represented the furthest territorial extent the country reached without breaking international law. Thus, following the end of the war, some nationalists advocated that these borders should be reinstated after unification.

The map is fantastically decorated, with pictorial elements that highlight traditional German culture. Towns and cities are shown throughout the map, and detail on the largest of these cities is particularly impressive. In addition, the coats of arms of the major cities are shown and a quote by Goethe, appropriated from his West-ostlicher Divan reads:

Those who know themselves and others will also recognize here: Orient and Occident can no longer be separated.