Kommunikation, Wissensproduktion und Kartographie

The production of commercial maps in the renaissance can only be explained through the complex interaction of diverse unrelated factors. This can be illustrated based on the maps created by Abraham Ortelius (*1527 †1598). The structure of early modern commercial networks affected the flow of and the access to the information he needed to produce these maps significantly. Technical and economic possibilities –and constraints– determined the framework in which he operated. Methodological and cognitive processes shaped the design of his maps and came into play when selecting their content. Those maps were a product of both scholarly and artisanal endeavors. They were also an expression of a widespread humanistic philosophy.