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Subject guide

Cartographic Collections

In addition to the Bodel Nijenhuis Collection, the map collections of the former library of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), and the map collection of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), the collection of Maps and Atlases includes several smaller sub collections.

The atlases and the maps of the Netherlands and Belgium and the maps of the former KIT-library can be found in the online catalogue. There are digital reproductions available of some of the maps. The total collection of maps and atlases (except the KIT-collections) is catalogued in a card index system. Literature about the collection is also available.

The collection Maps and Atlases consists of:

  • The atlases, c. 60,000 maps, and collection guides can be accessed via the Catalogue. This mainly concerns maps of the Netherlands, Belgium, and the former Dutch colonies. It is also possible to search exclusively for maps: in that case, select Maps under Material Type in the Advanced Search.
  • You can also search Digital Collections for digital images and online exhibitons.
  • About 14,000 digital images of topographical prints and drawings of the Netherlands are available on the Memory of the Netherlands website.
  • The c. 11,000 digitised map sheets of the Colonial Collection of the Royal Tropical Institute are available online via the separate map viewer Dutch Colonial Maps.
  • Circa 8,000 digitsed map sheets of the collection of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) are available online via the Digital Collections.
  • 171 maps of the Dutch East- and West-India companies are included in the Atlas of Mutual Heritage website.

The other parts of the collection are searchable via a card index, ordered by region and alphabetically by mapmaker/publisher. Separate card indexes for topographical prints and topographical drawings are available. The card indexes are located in the catalogue room, room 211 (second floor).

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