A document of great historical value has been discovered in the University Library of Munich. Its about first world map in which America appears with that name, made by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller (1470-1522), a key figure in the history of cartography.
This copy of the world map by Waldseemüller, of which only four copies were known until the date of its discovery, remained hidden in the library for more than a century, bound between two 19th-century geometric engravings. The head of the library's antiquarian books department, Sven Kuttner, stressed the importance of the find, calling it one of the most important discoveries in Germany since World War II.
Martin Waldseemüller and his cartographic legacy
Martin Waldseemuller Born in a small town in the Black Forest in 1470, he was trained in mathematics and cartography. He is remembered for having published in 1507 the map entitled Universalis Cosmography, a revolutionary document for being the first to give the New World the name of 'America'. This fact is a recognition of the Italian navigator Americo vespucio, whom Waldseemüller considered the discoverer of the continent for his descriptions that identified America as a land mass distinct from Asia.
The Waldseemüller world map was created in the Vosagense Gymnasium of Saint-Dié, France, and was printed using woodcut on twelve sheets which, when assembled, formed a map measuring 1290 x 2320 mm. The map was widely distributed in Europe, and thanks to its accuracy and clarity, was considered a masterpiece of its time.
The first map that names America
El Waldseemüller map Not only was Waldseemüller innovative in naming America, but he also depicted, with astonishing accuracy, the coastlines of the New World. At a time when the continents were still largely unexplored, Waldseemüller drew on existing sea charts and the descriptions of explorers such as Vespucci to delineate the coasts of South America, the Caribbean, and the southeastern United States.
On the map, America appears as an independent continent, separated from Asia, which represents a break with the traditional view that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were part of Asia. This was, ultimately, the first step towards accepting the New World as a separate continent.
A historic discovery in Munich
The discovery of world map by Waldseemüller at the University Library of Munich in 2012 was described as a milestone by the head of the library, Klaus-Rainer Brintzinger, who stated that they had not expected to find a document of such importance in the collection. According to research, the map was accidentally bound among other geometry documents in the 19th century, which allowed it to go unnoticed for years.
This copy of the map is smaller than other known versions, but it has the characteristic segments that allowed its use as a three-dimensional planisphereAs Brintzinger explains, this discovery not only expands knowledge about Waldseemüller's work, but also provides key information about the distribution and use of maps in the Renaissance.
A treasure worth millions
The value of this map lies not only in its age, but also in its scarcity. As experts pointed out during the discovery, only five copies of this type are known. One of them was auctioned by the house Christie's in 2005 at a price of more than 800.000 euros (around one million dollars).
This high value is not only due to the rarity of the document, but also to the historical importance of the piece, which represents the first moment when the newly discovered America was depicted as a separate continent. Experts estimate that if it goes up for auction, the map discovered in Munich could fetch more than 1.2 million euros.
Global impact of the discovery
Despite having gone unnoticed for centuries, the discovery of the world map in Munich has had a significant impact on the international historical community. It is considered by many to be the 'birth certificate of America', and its discovery has revived interest in early exploration and the way Europeans perceived the world in the early years of the 16th century.
This remarkable discovery also revalidates the importance of the Renaissance cartography in the development of global geographic knowledge. Thanks to documents such as the Waldseemüller world map, we know how Europeans were beginning to understand the true size and shape of the continents, allowing for more accurate navigation and the development of intercontinental trade.
The legacy of Martin Waldseemüller
Throughout the centuries, Martin Waldseemüller's legacy has endured as a benchmark in the history of cartography. Although there has been debate about whether it was correct to attribute the discovery of America to Vespucci, the truth is that Waldseemüller's precision and vision changed the way the world viewed the New World. Years after his death, in 1516, he published a new map in which he rectified the name of America, recognizing the contributions of Christopher Columbus.
The impact of his maps was such that although only five copies of his early world maps are known, their influence still lives on in modern maps. Today, several institutions, including the United States Library of Congress and Bavarian National Library, preserve copies of the Waldseemüller world map as a testimony to its importance in global history.
This discovery in the Munich Library has succeeded in reinforcing Waldseemüller's figure not only as a cartographer, but as a key figure in understanding the first explorations of the New World.
The discovery of the world map in Munich was a stroke of luck, which allowed the recovery of an invaluable piece of cartographic history. With its discovery, not only has a new impetus been given to historical research, but a key piece in the history of humanity has been recovered.