Rare Old Pictorial Map of Turkish Siege of Vienna by Meldeman, 1530: St. Stephen's, Fires, Circular Panorama

Step into the rich tapestry of history with Niklas Meldeman's masterful depiction of the First Turkish Siege of Vienna, a pivotal event in European history. Created in 1529 and published in Nuremberg in 1530, this circular panoramic map offers a unique and authentic representation of Vienna under siege. Meldeman's artistry prioritizes the significance of the depicted areas, providing a vivid and detailed illustration of the beleaguered city. At the heart of the map stands St. Stephen's Cathedral, symbolizing Vienna's resilience amidst the chaos.

The map's intricate design emphasizes Vienna's fortifications, showcasing the strategic importance of its defenses during the siege. The city walls are meticulously illustrated, with key points of attack highlighted, such as the Laklas Thurn set ablaze and the Kerner Thurn under cannon fire. The depiction of the breached wall to the right of Kerner Thurn adds to the dramatic narrative of the siege, offering a glimpse into the intense battles that took place.

Surrounding Vienna, the Turkish encampments are vividly portrayed, encircling the city and illustrating the scale of the Ottoman forces. The map captures the devastation wrought upon the suburbs, with numerous towns set ablaze by the attacking Turks. This visual representation of destruction underscores the dire circumstances faced by Vienna and its inhabitants during the siege, making the map not only a historical document but also a poignant piece of art.

Meldeman's map is further embellished with five coats of arms, adding a decorative and informative element to the piece. These heraldic symbols enhance the map's historical value, providing context and insight into the political landscape of the time. The detailed representation of the surrounding landscape, including the river flowing near the city, adds depth and dimension to the map, making it a comprehensive portrayal of the siege and its impact on Vienna.

This historically informative map is a testament to Meldeman's skill as a cartographer and his ability to capture the essence of a significant historical event. The First Turkish Siege of Vienna was a turning point in European history, and this map serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience and fortitude of the city's defenders. Whether you are a history enthusiast or a collector of fine maps, this exquisite piece offers a window into the past, bringing the drama and intensity of the siege to life.

Places on this map

• St. Stephen's Cathedral
• Laklas Thurn
• Kerner Thurn
• Vienna city walls
• Turkish encampments
• Suburbs of Vienna
• Various fortifications within Vienna
• River near Vienna
• Main fighting areas
• Surrounding landscape and hills
• Various buildings within Vienna
• Notable routes and paths into the city
• Key strategic points of the siege
• Locations of cannon fire and breaches
• Areas set ablaze during the siege
• Coats of arms embellishing the map
• Detailed representation of the outskirts of Vienna
• Important landmarks within the city
• Depiction of the main routes used by the attacking forces
• Various historical events illustrated within the city and its surroundings

Notable Features & Landmarks

• St. Stephen's Cathedral at the center
• Turkish encampments surrounding Vienna
• Laklas Thurn set ablaze
• Kerner Thurn under cannon fire
• Breached city wall to the right of Kerner Thurn
• Various buildings within Vienna minimized to emphasize fortifications
• Suburbs set ablaze by the attacking Turks
• Five coats of arms embellishing the map
• Depiction of the main fighting areas
• Numerous historical events illustrated within the image
• Circular panoramic view of Vienna
• Detailed representation of the city walls and fortifications
• Tents of the Turks on the outskirts of the town
• Visual representation of the destruction caused by the siege
• The river flowing near the city
• Various landmarks within Vienna
• Detailed depiction of the surrounding landscape
• Illustration of the attacking Turkish forces
• Representation of the main routes and paths into the city
• Visual emphasis on the strategic points of attack
• Artistic and thematic embellishments throughout the map

Historical and design context

• Name of the map: The First Turkish Siege of Vienna
• Creation Date: 1529
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Niklas Meldeman, published in Nuremberg in 1530
• Context about the mapmaker: Niklas Meldeman was a notable cartographer of his time, known for his detailed and thematic maps. His works often focused on significant historical events.
• Historical Significance:
• The map depicts the First Turkish Siege of Vienna in 1529, a pivotal event in European history where the Ottoman Empire attempted to capture Vienna.
• Meldeman's map is an authentic representation of the siege, illustrating various historical events that occurred during the conflict.
• Design and Style:
• The map is a circular panoramic plan, offering a rounded view of the area outside Vienna's city walls.
• It prioritizes the importance of represented areas rather than geographical accuracy.
• St. Stephen's Cathedral is centrally located, serving as a focal point.
• The map is embellished with five coats of arms, adding to its decorative and informative nature.
• Themes and Topics:
• Siege and Warfare: The map vividly depicts the Turkish siege, including the encampments, battles, and destruction.
• Fortifications: Emphasis on Vienna's fortifications, highlighting their strategic importance.
• Historical Events: Various key events during the siege are illustrated, such as the setting ablaze of Laklas Thurn and the cannon fire on Kerner Thurn.
• Countries and Regions Shown:
• The map focuses on Vienna, Austria, and the surrounding regions during the siege.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x16in (40x40cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and custom made maps take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes a day or two.

Please note that for larger framed orders (over 40in/100cm), and some other framed sizes, the delivery time will be closer to 7-10 days.

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps in 22 countries around the world. This means your map will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and reduces the chance of your map being damaged during delivery. There won't be any extra taxes or duties to pay, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all maps within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks or mugs) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

We can sometimes do next-day delivery if you order before 10am. But usually it's best to contact me first before you order.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps are also available as a framed canvas. The map is printed on matte (not shiny) canvas, stretched over a box frame, and then 'floated' within a simple wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing in front of your map.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map yourself, please read my map size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your unique map for any reason, contact me for a no-quibble refund.

I am very confident you will like your old map. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and have over 4,000 real 5-star reviews.

I use a unique process to restore my maps that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore the maps. As a result, I guarantee my maps are a cut above the rest - that's why I can offer a no-quibble refund.

Almost all of my maps look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.