Maps

The University Library has large collections of printed and hand-drawn maps that span from the late mediaeval period up until current modern publications.

Several of the University Library’s most well-known treasures are precisely maps. The first one to mention should be Carta Marina, a map of the Nordic countries dated 1539 and the Mexico map, a hand-drawn map on parchment of Mexico City from around 1550.

Our collection of Maps of Sweden drawn by hand is undergoing digitisation.

Finding maps

The major part of the map collections can be found at the Map and Image Unit at Carolina Rediviva, but maps and atlases within various specialist areas can also be found in the subject libraries.

If you are looking for resources within specialist subjects, such as geosciences and cultural geography, you can get help from our research guides.

Over time, maps have been registered in various ways. Nowadays, the maps are primarily registered in Alvin, but also in the University Library’s local catalogue and in the national catalogue Libris. Please contact the Library if you cannot find the map you are looking for.

Printed catalogues

Maps of Sweden drawn by hand

In our map collections there are a large number of maps drawn by hand, depicting Sweden or parts of Sweden, like counties, estates and cities. There are about 2100 maps from the early 17th century up to the beginning of the 20th century. The maps have been donated to the Uppsala University Library, for example by the great donors Carl David Gyllenborg and Jacob Westin. These maps are catalogued in Åke Davidsson: Handritade kartor över Sverige i Uppsala universitetsbibliotek, 1956, with additions for later acquisitions.

Now all these maps are undergoing digitisation and will soon be available in digital form, downloadable in high resolution. They are published as the project goes on. You find them in the database platform Alvin: Maps of Sweden drawn by hand.

A selection of links about and with maps

General

Sweden

  • Fornsök (Swedish National Heritage Board)
    Information about ancient grave sites, dwelling sites, working sites, rune stones, rock-carvings, mines, crofter’s holdings, execution places and shipwrecks from early stone age to the 20th century.
  • Digital maps GET
    (GET = Geodata Extraction Tool). Overview and detailed mapping and image material for all of Sweden and historical maps from the archives of Lantmäteriet, the Swedish national land survey. It is also possible to use geodata direct from the GIS server via the program ArcGIS.  
    Usage right and approval number: Students and employees have the right to publish geodata from Lantmäteriet together with their own information in independent work and in scientific publications. The following text shall always be shown in the work: © Lantmäteriet, i2012/921.This shall in the first instance be written into the figure with the map or in the figure text, and in the second instance be clearly shown in the publication.
  • Historical maps (Lantmäteriet)
    Contains Swedish maps from the Geographical Survey Office of Sweden (RAK), Lantmäteristyrelsen (LMS) and the archive of Lantmäteriet from the years 1628–1927. 
  • Map search and place names (Lantmäteriet)
    Search opportunities on maps and more than 950,000 Swedish place names.
  • Town map
    Maps of Sweden, counties, municipalities, cities and towns.
  • Sweden’s national atlas
    Sweden’s national atlas in printed form is available at several libraries and units. Search Uppsala University Library’s search system for more information.  
  • Sweden’s oldest large-scale maps (Swedish National Archives)
    The database contains 12,000 maps of villages and farms from the period 1630–1655.

International

Last modified: 2023-02-06
Print