Libraries abroad: One of the first maps with designation of America found in Munich

At the University Library of Munich was discovered a map of the XVI century, composed by the famous cartographer of that time Martin Waldseemueller from Breisgau, who acted under a Latin name Hylacomylus. His map is a smaller version of a big map of the United States of 1507. The map is available at: the web site of the University Library.

The discovery was made by the two researchers, who discovered the document between works on geometry of the XVI century, which mistakenly were in the books, dating of the XIX century.

M. Waldseemueller was the first who used the current name for the New World. He wrongly attributed the discovery of the continent to Florentine Amerigo Vespucci, and called the new territory with the Latin version of his name.

A large map of Waldseemueller was sold to the Library of Congress and was officially passed by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2007. The ancient document is considered to be "America's birthday map”.

Except the current finding, there are also four small-sized copies of large map of Waldseemueller, on which America is marked.