Deák Antal András: A Duna fölfedezése

Tartalom - III.A DANUBIUS PANNONICO-MYSICUS, 1726

T II E DISCOVERY OF THE DANUBE Hidden frontier maps

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2 It was obvious that the maps called unknown acquaintances were made as attachments to certain documents. The notes made in pencil on the registry cards imply the same. What is more, the morphological and contextual traits unformly indicate that most of these unnamed maps were drawn by Müller. Also, Müllers letters to Marsigli hinted at the fact that more frontier maps were drawn than the ones actually registered. They were certainly also sent to Vienna together with the frontier reports. Yet, we could not find them. Archivists wrote them off saying that they could have been discarded or been burned in past centuries. Nevertheless, in the spring of 1998, the frontier reports were found through luck and a friendly gesture.

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3 They were found hidden in corner of the repository without numbers and inventory registration. These sheets were probably less important for the military leaders, so they were left where they arrived, fastened to the documents with ribbons. Most of them were drawn by Müller, although he did not sign them. Several arguments can be raised to support the idea that these maps were Müllers work: the position and interrelation of the places determined by astronomical position are a constant in Müllers maps; the depictions of the boundary rivers and the course of the Danube are specific in his maps, since he corrected the characteristic bends with a compass. The cartographic marks and the stylistic traits are also helpful in demonstrating authorship.

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4 1. The map of the Sirmium frontier stretch

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5 This map shows the territory crossed by a red borderline between Illok on the Danube and Belgrade and Morov on the Sava river. A drawing of a boundary mound can be seen in the upper left corner with a sapling in its center. 2. The map of Szalánkemen

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6 This map depicts the few kilometres long stretch of the Danube around the fort and the mouth of the Tisza on the left side together with three channels forking out from one of the branches of the Danube, through which boats sail out to BackaN 3. Geographical map drawn for tradesmen

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8 This is the earliest map from Hungary where the main export routes are indicated. Following the ratification of the peace treaty, new possibilities opened up for Austro-Hungarian commerce. Leopold I, the German-Roman emperor and Hungarian king (1640-1705) wanted to make use of the favourable political and economic situation secured by the victory over the Turks, so he ordered Marsigli, with his intimate knowl1MAGE No. 10 on page 28: The border map of Syrmium. In the top left-hand corner there is an artificial boundary marker constructed on the flatland consisting of a mound - humka - with a tree planted on its top (1699) IMAGE No. 11 on page 28: Szalánkemen with the surrounding country, illustrating the castle, the Austrian camp and three canals on the left side of the river. A note next to the canals reads: through them the ships can get to the territory of Bácska (1699) IMAGE No. 12 on page 29: The first thematic commercial map of the world (1699) 8

2 Vienna ÖStA KA HKR documents, box 76, 77, 78. 8

3 I complained about my fruitless research to Dr. István Czigány at the Institute of Military History, who at that time worked in the Kriegsarchiv as a member of a Hungarian delegation. He interrupted me and said: "Wait a bit, I think I saw them a few weeks ago when I was poking into some paper boxes." And they indeed were Marsigli's reports... 8

4 Antal András Deák: Eine neu entdeckte Karte von Kroatien von Johann Christoph Müller. 8. Kartographiehistorisches Colloquium. Bern, 1996. 8

5 Vienna, ÖStA KA HKR documents. Unregistered. Enclosed within Information III, which was sent to Vienna in May 1699. Its inscription was in Latin and its drawer did not sign it. Measurements: 34.5 x 60 cm 8

6 Vienna, ÖStA KA HKR documents. Unregistered. Measurements: 30 x 41.5 cm. Title: Copia Mappae, quae, una cum priori et sequente per Lieut. Kayser, Aulae est transmissa. Datum Dresnik, d.l 1. Sept. 1699. Lit. B ad Annex. E in Relat. X. (Copy of the map that was sent by Captain Kayser to the imperial court together with the previous and the subsequent ones. Dresnik, September 11, 1699. To letter "B" of document "E" attached to report X.) 8

7 In the maps, these headlands are called canales or channels. Marsigli himself tells us in chapter II on the marshes of the Danube in volume I of his Danubius book that by these channels he means natural headlands (plate 42). 8

8 Manuscript, coloured, 50 x 74 cm; 1699. (without date); ÖStA KA HRK Akten 1701 BLG Juli/42. 110