National Széchényi Library has provided free access to approximately 1,000 digitized maps that were printed in Hungary or abroad before 1850.
The currently launched and continuously expanding database entitled “Földabrosz [1]” (Earth Cloth) includes approximately 1,000 digitized maps that were printed in Hungary or abroad before 1850. The majority of the maps were made in the 18th century, but the collection also includes several 17th-century editions, once owned by founder of our Library, Count Ferenc Széchényi (1754–1820).
Our goal is to make this diverse collection public as widely as possible, with a special focus on the needs of those in secondary and higher education, as well as researchers. With the mission of National Széchényi Library in mind, we publish our cultural treasures in good quality and under a free license, i.e. we make them freely accessible, downloadable and usable, provided the source is properly indicated. A multi-criteria search system is available for targeted search; those who want to browse can also choose browsing by geographical location (world, Europe, Hungary, distant landscapes) as well as thematic grouping (historical, military history, city, nautical and general maps). We help you to find your way by providing detailed bibliographic data and content elements of the maps.
Content service “Földabrosz” (Earth Cloth) will continuously be expanded with more and more items from NSZL’s Map, Poster and Small Print Collections. Our map historical blog [2], bearing the same title, will be renewed, and it will later become an integral part of the site.
“Földabrosz” (Earth Cloth) database can be accessed here [1].
A Hungarian-language blog review of the content service can be read here [3].
We wish you a useful time and efficient browsing while viewing the maps!