1928 Pictorial Map of Germany and Its Railways

A charming c. 1928 Leo Faller pictorial map of Germany highlighting its railways and attractions.

A Closer Look

Covering most of contemporary Germany and portions of neighboring countries, the map traces the major railway lines crisscrossing the country. Illustrations of local culture, architecture, economic products, and other distinguishing characteristics are provided for dozens of cities and towns, such as the cathedrals of München (Munich), Dresden, Koln (Cologne), and Ulm (the Ulmer Münster, a Lutheran Church). Mountains, rivers, forests, and other topographic features are also drawn in relief and labeled. The border contains illustrations of local flora and fauna.

German Railways in the Weimar Era

Germany maintains a deep and enduring connection with railways. It would be no exaggeration to say that Germany's existence as a nation would have been impossible without railways, as the Prussian military effectively leveraged the technology to defeat Austria and unify the Germanic states.

The country's first railway line, opened 1835, ran less than 10km from Nurnberg (Nuremberg) to Fūrth. Subsequent growth of railways was sporadic, but the rise of Prussia, followed by German unification, standardized and rationalized the system, creating a national network akin to that seen here. After World War I (1914 - 1918), when the railways played a critical role but were also significantly damaged, the railway network was centralized under the state-affiliated Reichsbahn.

Publication History and Census

This pictorial map was drawn by Leo Faller and published by Karl Wenschow in Munich. The initials 'WER' in the bottom-left refer to the Reichsbahn-Werbeamt (Advertising Office). It is undated but must date from after the First World War and before the division of Germany after World War II; the lack of references to the Third Reich suggests an earlier date in that range, most likely during the Weimar Era. Catalog listings suggest dates between 1928 and the 1940s. A later, postwar English-language edition (previously sold by us) adding characters from Grimms' Fairy Tales and other stories is titled 'With the German Federal Railroad Through the Land of Fairytales'. The map is noted among the holdings of seven institutions, all in Germany. Outside of Germany, only the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection holds an example.