How Bavaria was surveyed: Europe’s first precise national survey
By Rachel · 4 min read
Automatically translated from German. · Read original
Between 1801 and 1867, Bavaria became the first country in Europe to be precisely surveyed – based on a trigonometric triangulation network, the Soldner projection and over 23,000 survey maps for the land registry.
Key facts at a glance
- Start: 19 June 1801 – Founding of the Topographical Bureau by Elector Maximilian IV Joseph.
- Reference point: The spire of the north tower of Munich’s Frauenkirche.
- Method: Triangulation using a Reichenbach repeating theodolite; maps in the Soldner projection (rotated by 14″).
- Result: 112 sheets of the Topographical Atlas at a scale of 1:100,000 (1867) and over 23,000 original survey sheets at a scale of 1:5,000 (1808–1864).
- Today: Data is held in the BayernAtlas and by the Bavarian State Office for Digitalisation, Broadband and Surveying.
Why Bavaria was the first region in Europe to be precisely surveyed
The political reorganisation following the secularisation of 1802/03 created the new state of Bavaria from around 70 territories. Reliable cadastral maps were lacking for the purposes of a uniform land and building tax – the main source of revenue at the time. When French troops occupied Munich in 1800 and found no accurate maps, the need for action became apparent.
At the urging of his minister Montgelas, Elector Maximilian IV Joseph (King Maximilian I Joseph from 1806) founded the Topographical Bureau on 19 June 1801. The aim was to produce a ‘complete, astronomically and topographically accurate’ map of the entire country.
How the trigonometric control network was established
The scientific basis was provided by the surveying of a baseline. In 1801, the French Colonel Bonne surveyed the Unterföhring–Aufkirchen section. This was followed in 1807 by the Franconian baseline between Nuremberg and Bruck, and in 1819 by the Rhineland-Bavarian baseline between Speyer and Oggersheim. Building on this, Johann Georg von Soldner established a comprehensive network of first- and second-order triangles by 1828.
The repetition theodolite, developed by Georg Friedrich von Reichenbach in 1808, proved decisive. It enabled angle measurements to be taken with unprecedented accuracy. Soldner used this instrument to repeat the entire triangulation.
From the initial survey to the Topographical Atlas
In parallel with the triangulation, the Royal Direct Tax Survey Commission, under Joseph von Utzschneider, began detailed surveying of every plot of land in 1808. The terrain was surveyed outdoors at the surveying table – over 23,000 sheets at a scale of 1:5,000 (towns and villages 1:2,500, parts of Franconia 1:1,250).
The 1:25,000 original position maps were produced by reducing and colouring sets of 16 cadastral sheets (1:5,000) each. From these, the Topographical Atlas of Bavaria was developed at a scale of 1:50,000 (later 1:100,000). The atlas was published in 1867 comprising 112 sheets.
| Year | Milestone | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| 1568 | Bavarian Land Tables (Philipp Apian) | Duke Albrecht V |
| 19 June 1801 | Establishment of the Topographical Bureau | Elector Maximilian IV Joseph |
| 1801 | Unterföhring–Aufkirchen baseline | Colonel Bonne |
| 1808 | Tax Survey Commission & Reichenbach theodolite | Joseph von Utzschneider, Johann Georg von Soldner |
| 1812 | Start of the Topographical Atlas | Topographical Bureau |
| 1828 | Triangulation completed | Johann Georg von Soldner |
| 1864 | Initial survey completed (>23,000 sheets) | Tax Cadastre Commission |
| 1867 | Topographical Atlas 1:100,000 (112 sheets) | Royal Bavarian General Staff |
The Soldner projection and its legacy
The mathematical basis was the Soldner sphere (radius 6,388,172 m) with the Soldner projection. In present-day Bavaria, it is not precisely north-oriented, but rotated 14 arc seconds clockwise. In northern Bavaria, this results in a deviation of around 16 metres from the Munich central meridian.
The approximately 901 original position sheets are organised into rows (east–west from Munich) and layers (north–south, numbered in Roman numerals). Missing sheets (e.g. Neu 520, 621–624, 703 in the Bavarian section) are due to territorial losses following the German War of 1866 – the sheets were subsequently renumbered.
Key figures in the Bavarian State Survey
- King Maximilian I Joseph – commissioned the original survey in 1808.
- Joseph von Utzschneider – headed the Tax Survey Commission and established the Bureau de cadastre.
- Adrian von Riedl – Director of the Topographical Bureau.
- Johann Georg von Soldner – laid the scientific foundations (memorandum of 1804), triangulation using a new theodolite.
- Georg von Reichenbach – designer of the repeating theodolite, founder of the optical and precision engineering industry in Bavaria.
- Joseph von Fraunhofer – optical innovations for surveying instruments.
- Alois Senefelder – inventor of lithography, who made it possible to reproduce cadastral maps at low cost.
How you can use the historical maps today
The Bavarian State Office for Digitalisation, Broadband and Surveying (LDBV) maintains the data. In the BayernAtlas, historical position maps and original survey sheets can be displayed alongside current maps. For property boundaries and area details dating back to the 19th century, the Cadastral Office is your first point of contact. If you need to calculate area shares or tax values, our percentage calculator helps you work out these figures quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the precise surveying of Bavaria begin?
The official start was the founding of the Topographical Bureau on 19 June 1801. The actual initial survey for the cadastre ran from 1808 to 1864.
What was the zero point for the Bavarian land survey?
The spire of the north tower of Munich’s Frauenkirche served as the fixed reference point for the entire triangulation network.
Which projection was used?
The Soldner projection on the Soldner sphere (radius 6,388,172 m), deviating by 14 arc seconds anti-clockwise from true north.
Where can I find the original historical survey maps today?
In the LDBV’s BayernAtlas (bayernatlas.de), the historical position maps and original survey sheets can be overlaid as layers on top of the current map.
How many sheets does the Topographical Atlas of Bavaria comprise?
Completed in 1867, the atlas consists of 112 map sheets at a scale of 1:100,000.
Sources: Wikipedia: Bavarian Original Survey · House of Bavarian History: How Bavaria was surveyed · litera bavarica: How Bavaria was surveyed. Last updated: 27 October 2026.
