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Rare 1827 Nautical Chart of the Kattegat, Published by the Danish Nautical Charts Archive
This map is a rare, separately published chart of the Kattegat, created in 1827 by the Royal Danish Nautical Charts Archive. The Royal Danish Nautical Charts Archive, or Kongelige Danske Søkort-Arkiv (KDSKA) was established in 1784 and charged with providing the Royal Danish Navy and Danish merchant marines with accurate nautical charts.
The chart shows the Kattegat, a sea area, which is the part of the passage between the North and Baltic Seas, and surrounds parts of Denmark and Sweden. This chart includes portions of eastern Denmark and southwestern Sweden.
Towns and elevation points that are visible from sea are marked inland, otherwise detail there is sparse. The sea, by contrast, is filled with information, including rhumb lines, sounding depths, obstruction markers, sand bars, and anchorages. Of particular interest are the fyres, or fires, that dot certain promontories and are colored red. They served as visual markers, like lighthouses, to guide sailors.
Directly below the beautiful cartouche at top right is the crest of the Royal Danish Navy, an anchor surrounded by rope and topped with the royal crown. Inside the crest are the initials of the Royal Danish Nautical Charts Archive. Below the crest, the date is clearly marked 1827.
The cartouche itself consists of a lovely illustration of a mermaid playing a lyre and a merman reclining, along with two goddesses standing watch at the front and rear of the sailing vessel, one goddess is looking through a spyglass and the other holding an oar. Other illustrative details in this scene include a heron, a compass, and an hourglass. Directly above the cartouche is King Frederick VI’s seal. Frederick VI ruled Denmark from 1808-1839 and was the last ruler of the combined state of Denmark-Norway before Norway gained its independence in 1814.
The Kattegat
The Kattegat lies in is a strategically important passage, both for navigation and geopolitical reasons. It is part of the connection point between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea and served as an important source of revenue for Danish Royalty because of taxes collected on ships passing through it. Several major port cities in Denmark and Sweden, including Copenhagen and Gothenburg, flourished along the strait. The Kattegat, or “cat’s throat” in Danish, is relatively narrow and contains numerous islands, making it difficult to navigate, so the historic utility of an accurate nautical chart of the area cannot be overstated.
This chart is very rare on the market. We note a copy in the Danish National Archives dated 1800 and an example dated 1829. It is a fine choice for all collectors interested in Scandinavia and historic nautical charts in excellent condition.