The Jewish population in Prussia increased significantly after the incorporation of Polish lands in 1772 and 1793. The progressive emancipation of the Jews in the 19th century led many of them to move to the larger urban centres of Berlin, Wrocław, Szczecin and further into Germany, either to feed existing religious communities or to form new ones.
Dating from the second half of the 19th century, the statistical map is in the shape of a horizontal rectangle and was printed on smooth paper. It outlines the political and administrative borders of the Kingdom of Prussia. The map includes explanations of the signs and a statistical table showing the size of the Jewish population in 1863. The title, printed in decorative font, is placed at the top edge: “Distribution of the Jewish population in Prussia, a cartographic representation drawn up on behalf of the Association of Propagating Christianity among the Jews, edited and published in Berlin in 1863.”
At the bottom of the map, there is a semicircular representation of the view of Jerusalem. Under the frame in the lower right corner the inscription: “Compiled and edited by F. von Rappard, Major in active service and member of the Committee of the Association of Propagating Christianity among the Jews, edited and published in Berlin”. The map was prepared by Prussian army major Fedor Franz Friedrich von Rappard. He was the author of several topographical and statistical maps, including the Regierungsbezirk Stettin (1862) and the Regierungsbezirk Oppeln (1864) and the district of Cochem-Zell (1867), in addition to a plan of the city of Aachen (1860), a map of Palestine (1869) and maps of the districts: Ahrweiler, Bonn, Euskirchen and Rheinbach as well as the district of Halberstadt and the county of Wernigerode, and a staff map of the district of Lebus (1878). The commissioned map was made by the Berlin Society for the Promotion of Christianity among the Jews, founded in 1822 .
The map was a gift from Joanna and Ryszard Patorski of Międzyrzecz and was donated to the District Museum in Leszno in 2014. The Patorski couple received it from their acquaintances, however, they did not provide any information about its origin.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
