1715 Pieter Schenk Large Antique Map of The Duchy Oels, Silesia Region of Poland

Cartographer :Pieter Schenk the Younger

  • Title : Ducatus in Silesia Inferiore Olsnensis...Petri Schenk jun.
  • Ref #:  93484
  • Size: 23 1/2in x 19 1/2in (590mm x 490mm)
  • Date : 1715
  • Condition: (A+) Fine Condition

Description:
This original large rare, beautifully hand coloured copper plate engraved antique map of the Duchy of Oels or Olesnica, with a inset view of the capital Olesnica, by Pieter Schenk the Younger (1693 - 1775) in 1715.

The Duchy of Oels, Latin: Ducatus Olsnensis, was one of the duchies of Silesia with its capital in Oleśnica in Lower Silesia, Poland. Initially ruled by the Silesian Piasts, it was acquired by the Münsterberg (Ziębice) dukes of the Podiebrad family from 1495 and was inherited by the House of Württemberg in 1649. Conquered by Prussia in 1742, it was enfeoffed to the Welf dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1792 until its dissolution in 1884.(Ref: Tooley; M&B)

General Definitions:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color : - off white
Age of map color: - Original
Colors used: - Blue, pink, red, green, yellow
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 23 1/2in x 19 1/2in (590mm x 490mm)
Plate size: - 23in x 17in (585mm x 435mm)
Margins: - Min 1/2in (12mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None

Background:
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately 40,000 km2, and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000 inhabitants. Silesia is split into two main sub-regions of Lower Silesia in the west and Upper Silesia in the east. Silesia has a diverse culture, including architecture, costumes, cuisine, traditions, and the Silesian language.
Silesia is along the Oder River, with the Sudeten Mountains extending across the southern border. The region possesses many historical landmarks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesias largest city and historical capital is Wrocław. The biggest metropolitan area is the Upper Silesian metropolitan area, the centre of which is Katowice. Parts of the Czech city of Ostrava and the German city of Görlitz fall within the borders of Silesia.
Silesias borders and national affiliation have changed over time, both when it was a hereditary possession of noble houses and after the rise of modern nation-states. The varied history with changing aristocratic possessions resulted in an abundance of castles, especially in the Jelenia Góra valley. The first known states to hold power in Silesia were probably those of Greater Moravia at the end of the 9th century and Bohemia early in the 10th century. In the 10th century, Silesia was incorporated into the early Polish state, and after its division in the 12th century became a Piast duchy. In the 14th century, it became a constituent part of the Bohemian Crown Lands under the Holy Roman Empire, which passed to the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in 1526. As a result of the Silesian Wars, the region was annexed by Prussia in 1742.
After World War I, the easternmost part of Upper Silesia was granted to Poland by the Entente Powers after insurrections by Poles and the Upper Silesian plebiscite. The remaining former Austrian parts of Silesia were partitioned to Czechoslovakia, forming part of Czechoslovakias Sudetenland region, and are today part of the Czech Republic. In 1945, after World War II, the bulk of Silesia was transferred to Polish jurisdiction by the Potsdam Agreement between the victorious Allies and became part of Poland, whose Communist government expelled the majority of Silesias previous population. The small Lusatian strip west of the Oder–Neisse line, which had belonged to Silesia since 1815, remained in Germany.

Schenk, Pieter The Elder 1660 – 1711
Petrus Schenck, or Pieter, or Peter Schenk the elder was a German engraver and cartographer active in Amsterdam and Leipzig. Was born in Elberfeld and moved to Amsterdam in 1675 where he became a student of Gerard Valck specializing in mezzotint. Valck was married to Maria Bloteling, the sister of the Amsterdam engraver Abraham Bloteling. In 1687 Schenk married Gerards sister Agatha Valck. In 1694, together with Valck, he bought some of the copper-plates of the art-dealer and cartographer Johannes Janssonius (Jan Jansson) Along with Valck and Bloteling, he produced prints for the London market, though it is not known if he ever went there with them.
Until 1700 he lived in the Jordaan, then he moved to Dam Square or to Leipzig, where he opened a shop, selling maps and art. He was a regular visitor to the trade fair Leipziger Messe in Leipzig, where he died. He had three sons who became engravers.His eldest son Peter Schenk the Younger was also a noted cartographer and art dealer who continued his fathers shop in Leipzig. His sons Jan and Leonard stayed in Amsterdam and probably continued their father\\\'s workshop. His daughter Maria married Leonard Valck, the son of Gerard, who also continued Gerards workshop.

$299.00