Collection of Maps by Johann George and Johann Christian Schreiber, circa 1740-1750

Lehigh’s collection of Schreiber maps is composed of both Johann Christ. and Johann George Schreiber manufacture. It is uncertain about just what the abbreviation Christ. represents: Christian, Christoph or Christliebe. The Christian and Christoph appear to be interchangeablein material about the Schreibers. On one of the map plates the name Christian is completely engraved rather than just the abbreviation. But in the CERL Thesaurus Johann Christoph Schreiber is listed as publisher, copperplate engraver and cartographer in Leipzig and attributed to be the father of Johann George Schreiber (1676-1750). This reference has the record identifier: cnp 01207186 with the authority as the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. Other references indicate that the parents of Johann George were Hans (Johannes) and Anna Schreiber. Johann George was one of seven children. He was born in Neusalza-Spremberg and died in Leipzig. The Schreibers were the first German map publishers for the principality of Saxony. In 1710 Johann George Schreiber made a map of Bautzen indicating every building. This feat impressed the Dukes of Saxony and they commissioned Johann George to make maps to determine the boundaries of their lands following the conflict of the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714). These maps were distributed to all officials of Saxony to understand the established new boundaries. Apparently individual maps were bound as Atlas von Sachsen and became the basis of the Schreibers’ most famous work Atlas Selectus. The Atlas Selectus was published in 1740 with a reissue in 1749 and a subsequent third edition published sometime between 1749 to 1816. The Schreibers also published Atlas Geographicus. After the deaths of the Dukes of Saxony (circa 1718), the Schreibers moved to Leipzig. This fact determined the “in Leipzig” being added to the maps. Upon the death of Johann George, the map publishing business continued under the supervision of his widow (this fact controls the manufacture date of some maps as post 1750), son and other relatives until approximately 1816.Several university libraries in the United States also have collections of Schreiber maps: Brown University, Oberlin University, Reed College (Portland, Oregon),St. John’s University (Minnesota), University of Illinois (Urbana), University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee) and the Library of Congress.