59 – A German Map of the Empire of Love
In the 18th century, sentimental cartography was very much à la mode, with this map as one of the finer examples. ‘Das Reich der Liebe’ (‘the Empire of Love’) by Johann Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf, was published in Leipzig in 1777. In a brief explanatory, it describes how pilgrims set out from the Land of Youth, where are located the sources of the rivers Joy and Wish and may end up in any of six other countries.
Below the map is a listing of the place-names in German and an attempt at English translation (I’m open to suggestions for more adequate translations!):
Das Reich der Liebe -The Empire of LoveZweyter Landchartensatz-Versuch - Second Attempt at Map-makingLAND DER JUGEND LAND OF YOUTH
- Der Liebeswald The Forest of Love
- Küssfeld Kiss Field
- Tändelspiel Flirting Game
- Reizenstein Charm Castle
- Fluss der Wünsche Stream of Wishes
- Sorgenlos Worry-Free
- Freudenheim Joy’s Home
- Schönhausen Beautiful House
- Quell der Freuden Source of Joy
- Süsserblick Sweet Look
Witzingen Wisecrack Place - Reichenbach Rich River
- Warnungsstein Warning Castle
LAND DER RUHE LAND OF REST
- Schlafmütze Nightcap
- Grossvaterstadt Grandfather City
- Gleichmuth Equanimity
- Mannesinn Manly Place
LAND DER TRAURENDEN LIEBE LAND OF MOURNING LOVE
- Wuthheim Anger’s Home
- Thränenfluss Flood of Tears
- Grillenberg Whim Mountain
- Thränenbach River of Tears
- Klagenhöle Complaint Place
- Das hoffnungslose Gebürge Hopeless Mountains
- Verachtung Loathing
- Strenge Strict Place
- Morass des Tiefsinss Swamp of Profundity
- Werthershain Werther’s Grove
- Wüste der Schwermuth Desert of Melancholy
LAND DER LÜSTE LAND OF LUST
- Krankenthal Illness Valley
- Schwachheim Weak Home
- Taumelsfeld Intoxication Field
- Der Schwalgerfluss Smoking River (?)
- Sinnenlust Lechery
- Lazareth Hospital
LAND DER GLÜCKLICHEN LIEBE LAND OF HAPPY LOVE
- Lustwald Lust Wood
- Erhörung Answered Prayers
- Fröhliche Aussicht Pleasant View
- Genuss Enjoyment
- Zärtlichkeit Tenderness
- Gute Zeit Good Times
- Gunsthoff Affection Farm
- Sättigung Satisfaction
- Wahre Liebe True Love
- Berg der Einwilligung Compliance Mountain
- Freudensbronn Fountain of Joy
- Kinderseegen Quiverful of Children
- Ehstandshafen Marriage Harbour
- Stadt der Belohnung Reward City
- Wonnestadt Bliss Town
- Seelenruh Peace of Mind
- Feststadt Party Town
- Vergnügtes Hölzgen Joyful Wood
LAND DER HAGESTOLZE BACHELOR COUNTRY
- Dummheidsdorf Stupidity Town
- Korbgebe Rejection Place
- Aergerniss Irritation
- Kaltsinn Indifference
- Verachtungsau Place of Contempt
- Eckel Reprehensibility
- Gebürge des Alters Old Age Mountains
- Scheidung Separation
- Hass Hate
- Unwill Obstinacy
- Zänkershall Wrangler Hall
- Verdrüssliche Heide Exasperation Heath
- Todtenweilern Hamlet of Death
- Meer der Verzweiflung Sea of Doubt
LAND DER FIXEN IDEEEN LAND OF OBSESSIONS
- Seufzerslur Place of Sighs
- Verlangenau Desire Town
- Unruh Unrest
- Stadt der Träume City of Dreams
- Brücke der Hoffnung Bridge of Hope
- Untreu Disloyalty
- Süsser Thränenbach Sweet River of Tears
- Triebstädtel Little Town of Instincts
On the whole, not a bad translation. I would offer the following changes:
Reizenstein/Charmstone
Sorgenlos/Carefree
Warnungstein/Warningstone
Schönhausen/Beautyton
Schlafmütze/Sleepyhead (that’s an idiom)
Grillenberg looks like Grillenburg to me, so maybe Fort Whim.
Schwalgerfluss/River of Revelry
Lustwald/Passion Wood (since it’s the land of Happy Love)
I like Werthershain. He was obviously riffing on the recently published Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe.
Morass des Tiefsinss/Swamp of Pensiveness
Comment by DemetriosX — January 9, 2007 @
Seufzerflur would be “Hallway of Sighs”
Comment by Andreas Praefcke — January 9, 2007 @
Or, in this context, rather: Meadow of Sighs (or Lea of Sighs)
Comment by Andreas Praefcke — January 9, 2007 @
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Comment by philosophicmind — January 20, 2007 @
Sounds like something out of the “Pilgrim’s Progress”!
Comment by Lurker — June 13, 2007 @
I think “Realm of love” would be a better translation of the map name.
Comment by Tarek — June 14, 2007 @
I read “Großvaterstuhl” instead of “Großvaterstadt”, that would be “Grandfather´s Chair” or better “Wing Chair”.
Comment by Jenny — July 24, 2007 @
Hospital in Land of Lust! Lmao.
Comment by Laura — August 20, 2007 @
[...] And if things do go right, perhaps you’ll get to move your personal pin on this 1777 German map of the Empire of Love. [...]
Pingback by Brain Pickings » Blog Archive » Geography, Topography and Everythingography — January 25, 2008 @
[...] And if things do go right, perhaps you’ll get to move your personal pin on this 1777 German map of the Empire of Love. [...]
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