Jan Nepretski and the map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

This publication transports the reader to the 18th century — a time when maps that shaped the perception of countries and their borders were created. Jan Nieprzecki, a Jesuit scholar, left behind one of the most interesting maps of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, prepared for printing in Nuremberg in 1749. This book is a study of his biography, the context of the map's creation, and the influence of the Jesuits on the development of cartography in Europe. It captivates both scholars and history enthusiasts, reading like an antique detective novel, where each page reveals new details of the past.

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The book is dedicated to the Jesuit scholar Jan Nieprzecki (1718–1750) and his map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1749), prepared for publication by the Nuremberg publishing house "Homann's Heirs." An analysis of new sources illuminates the development of cartography in the region and interactions with foreign cartographic centers.

“The book reads like an antique detective novel by Umberto Eco, and perhaps it will one day become the 'source material' for creating something similar in literature or cinema.”

Ales Kirkievich

Book review by Ales Kirkievich "Why did Jan Nieprzecki create a map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania without the Belovezhskaya Pushcha and what do the Jesuits have to do with it?"

Contents

From the Editor 3
To the Reader 5
The Updated Map of Lithuania 7
Biography of Jan Nieprzecki 15
Homann and Successors. Tobias Mayer 31
Letter from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 37
Contribution of Jesuits to Cartography 49
Contents of Jan Nieprzecki's Map 63
States of Jan Nieprzecki's Map 85
Map Scale 125
Conclusions 129
Appendix 133
Index of Names 145
Literature 147
Summary 153