JODE, Gerard de (1509–1591) — [Pomerania and Dithmarschen]. Antwerp: Cornelis de Jode, 1593.

JODE, Gerard de (1509–1591) — [Pomerania and Dithmarschen]. Antwerp: Cornelis de Jode, 1593.

Copperplate engravings, paper, 162 × 455 mm and 145 × 228 mm, on a sheet measuring 410 × 552 mm, with text in Latin on the reverse. The paper is slightly discolored and wavy, with traces of an atlas fold and glue marks along the fold; there are two small insect marks near the center of the map.

Gerard de Jode was a Flemish cartographer, engraver, and publisher active primarily in Antwerp. His most significant achievement was the atlas *Speculum Orbis Terrarum* (“Mirror of the World”), first published in 1578, containing elegant copperplate maps prized for their artistic merit and geographical accuracy. However, the atlas sold poorly because the market was already dominated by Abraham Ortelius’s *Theatrum Orbis Terrarum*. Despite his limited commercial success during his lifetime, Gerard de Jode is highly regarded today by historians and collectors for the rarity, craftsmanship, and the high intellectual value of his maps, many of which incorporated contemporary discoveries and reflected Europeans’ rapidly expanding knowledge of the world during the Age of Discovery.

The maps on display, depicting Pomerania and the Dithmarschen Peninsula in Holstein, are from the second and final edition of *Speculum Orbis Terrarum*, published by the author’s son, Cornelis de Jode, in 1593. The upper map, *Pomeraniae Utriusque*, is a detailed depiction of Pomerania, based on Sebastian Münster’s *Beschreibung des Landts Pomern* (Basel, 1550). The map extends eastward to the borders of Polish Prussia and westward to Mecklenburg. Numerous towns are depicted using small architectural vignettes, including Rostock, Szczecin, Stralsund, Greifswald, and Gdańsk. The island of Rügen is also clearly marked. A descriptive cartouche with a scale is placed in the lower right corner, while the southern border is marked with the name *Marca Antiqua*.
The lower map, *Thietmarsorum Simbricae Chersonesi Populorum foedis delineatio*, is a map of the Dithmarschen Peninsula in Holstein, based on the work of local cartographer Petrus Boekel. The low-lying, marshy areas are depicted using characteristic hatching to indicate wetlands and marshes, with the German Sea to the west and Holstein further to the east. The map is oriented with east at the top.

The maps are accompanied by an extensive printed text in Latin titled *Pomerania et Dietmarsia*. Drawing on ancient and Renaissance authors, including Tacitus, Erasmus Stella, and Albertus Crantius, the text explains the origin of the name “Pomerania” and describes the region’s most important cities. Szczecin is presented as the main ducal center, Rostock is noted for its thriving university, and Wolin is described as a once-great commercial port. The accompanying description of Dithmarschen details the region’s population, emphasizing their strong attachment to independence, and also discusses the physical geography of the peninsula located between the Elbe and the Eider, providing its geographic coordinates in accordance with the principles of geographic description at the time.