Elbe Estuary | Nautical Chart | Historical Map | Elbe

The "Plan de l'Embouchure de l'Elbe" is a historical nautical chart of the Elbe estuary, showing the waterways from the North Sea to Stade. It was surveyed in 1812 by Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré, one of the most important hydrographers of his time and a member of the Institut de France, and published in 1816 by royal decree in the Dépôt-général de la Marine, the central map archive of the French Navy. The chart is striking for its extraordinary level of detail: countless depth soundings trace the fairway, color-coded sandbanks such as Vogel-Sand, Scharhörn-Bank, and Neuwerck make the river morphology—constantly changing then as it is now—visible, and coastal towns from Cuxhaven via Brunsbüttel and Glückstadt to Stade are depicted with fine hatching. A detailed legend explains sounding methods, tidal times, and seabed characteristics, complemented by a compass rose and several scale bars. Created shortly after the Napoleonic Wars, when the Elbe estuary was of great strategic and economic importance, this sheet is one of the key works in the history of North German cartography and is a special piece for anyone passionate about maritime history, coastal landscapes, and the development of seafaring.

Historical maps show traces of time and use, the intensity and nature of which vary depending on the map and its intended purpose. The print offered is a reproduction.

You can order the print in the specified formats.
All maps are delivered unframed and well-protected. If a framed version is listed among the product's dimensions and prices, you can also order it framed.

We strive to represent the colors as accurately as possible. However, due to different monitor and device settings (brightness, contrast, saturation), slight color variations may occur between the screen display and the print.