Atlas Suisse

The Atlas Suisse by Johann Rudolf Meyer and Johann Heinrich Weiss, also called Meyer -Weiss Atlas, is the oldest map series, which includes the whole of Switzerland and is based on a scientific survey. It was created in 1786 bis 1802.

The industrialist Johann Rudolf Meyer of Aarau decided to create a map of Switzerland at its own expense. He engaged for this purpose in 1786 the surveyor Johann Heinrich Weiss from Strasbourg. Foundations for this work were the base measurements by the naturalist Johann Georg Tralles and modeled by Joachim Eugen Müller landscape relief, after which White drew the cards.

The result of this work appeared in the years 1796-1802 and includes 16 cards and an overview map. The 16 sheets measuring 70 x 51 cm, showing the Switzerland at a scale of about 1:120 '000. Until the appearance of the Dufour Map (1845-1865) of the Atlas Suisse remained the most accurate nationwide map series of Switzerland.