Map men : transnational lives and deaths of geographers in the making of East Central Europe

More than just colorful clickbait or pragmatic city grids, maps are often deeply emotional tales: of political projects gone wrong, budding relationships that failed, and countries that vanished. In __Map Men__, Steven Seegel takes us through some of these historical dramas with a detailed look at the maps that made and unmade the world of East Central Europe through a long continuum of world war and revolution. As a collective biography of five prominent geographers between 1870 and 1950—Albrecht Penck, Eugeniusz Romer, Stepan Rudnyts’kyi, Isaiah Bowman, and Count Pál Teleki—__Map Men__ reexamines the deep emotions, textures of friendship, and multigenerational sagas behind these influential maps. Taking us deep into cartographical archives, Seegel re-creates the public and private worlds of these five mapmakers, who interacted with and influenced one another even as they played key roles in defining and redefining borders, territories, nations­—and, ultimately, the interconnection of the world through two world wars. Throughout, he examines the transnational nature of these processes and addresses weighty questions about the causes and consequences of the world wars, the rise of Nazism and Stalinism, and the reasons East Central Europe became the fault line of these world-changing developments. At a time when East Central Europe has surged back into geopolitical consciousness, __Map Men__ offers a timely and important look at the historical origins of how the region was defined—and the key people who helped define it.

More than just colorful clickbait or pragmatic city grids, maps are often deeply emotional tales: of political projects gone wrong, budding relationships that failed, and countries that vanished. In Map Men, Steven Seegel takes us through some of these historical dramas with a detailed look at the maps that made and unmade the world of East Central Europe through a long continuum of world war and revolution. As a collective biography of five prominent geographers between 1870 and 1950—Albrecht Penck, Eugeniusz Romer, Stepan Rudnyts'kyi, Isaiah Bowman, and Count Pál Teleki— Map Men reexamines the deep emotions, textures of friendship, and multigenerational sagas behind these influential maps.Taking us deep into cartographical archives, Seegel re-creates the public and private worlds of these five mapmakers, who interacted with and influenced one another even as they played key roles in defining and redefining borders, territories, nations­—and, ultimately, the interconnection of the world through two world wars. Throughout, he examines the transnational nature of these processes and addresses weighty questions about the causes and consequences of the world wars, the rise of Nazism and Stalinism, and the reasons East Central Europe became the fault line of these world-changing developments.At a time when East Central Europe has surged back into geopolitical consciousness, Map Men offers a timely and important look at the historical origins of how the region was defined—and the key people who helped define it.

More than just colorful clickbait or pragmatic city grids, maps are often deeply emotional tales: of political projects gone wrong, budding relationships that failed, and countries that vanished. In Map Men , Steven Seegel takes us through some of these historical dramas with a detailed look at the maps that made and unmade the world of East Central Europe through a long continuum of world war and revolution. As a collective biography of five prominent geographers between 1870 and 1950—Albrecht Penck, Eugeniusz Romer, Stepan Rudnyts'kyi, Isaiah Bowman, and Count Pál Teleki— Map Men reexamines the deep emotions, textures of friendship, and multigenerational sagas behind these influential maps. Taking us deep into cartographical archives, Seegel re-creates the public and private worlds of these five mapmakers, who interacted with and influenced one another even as they played key roles in defining and redefining borders, territories, nations­—and, ultimately, the interconnection of the world through two world wars. Throughout, he examines the transnational nature of these processes and addresses weighty questions about the causes and consequences of the world wars, the rise of Nazism and Stalinism, and the reasons East Central Europe became the fault line of these world-changing developments. At a time when East Central Europe has surged back into geopolitical consciousness, Map Men offers a timely and important look at the historical origins of how the region was defined—and the key people who helped define it. Acknowledgments Author’s Note Introduction Argument: A Transnational Love Story A Five-Headed Cast: Defining Map Men Epistolary Geography Triptych Chapter 1: Professor Penck’s Pupils Saxony, 1858 West Galicia, 1871 East Galicia, 1877 Ontario-Michigan, 1878 Budapest-Transylvania, 1879 Chapter 2: Objectivity WWI Collisions Pan-American Careerist Out of Eurasia Fantasy Easts Apotheosis Paprika Geography Chapter 3: Courtiers In Search of Patrons Among the Defeated Rump State Melotrauma Victors in Arms New Worlds, New Men Strings to Pull Scenes from a Breakup Chapter 4: Beruf Vienna-Prague-Kharkov Bodily Work Of Glaciers and Men An American in Mosul 1925: Volks- und Kulturboden A Sort of Heimat-coming Revision Institutionalized Illusions Chapter 5: A League of Their Own Wissenschaft Wars Asymmetry Third Reich Knocking on Europe’s Door Lives of a Salesman Boys to Men Children of Solovki Chapter 6: Ex-Homes Old Worlds Calling Dr. Love You Can’t Go Heimat Again Revenge Suicide Manpower Contemplation Chapter 7: Twilight A Drive to the East “Before Death Plucks My Ear” Repatriation, in Place A Multigenerational Affair Freunde und Feinde Afterlives Conclusion Appendix Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index This Book Is A Group Intellectual Biography Of Five Prominent Geographers From East Central Europe And The United States Between The 1870s And The 1950s. Seegel Recreates The Public And Private Worlds Of These Mapmakers, Who Interacted With And Influenced One Another Even As They Played Key Roles In Defining And Redefining Borders, Territories, Nations, And Ultimately The Interconnection Of The World Throughout The Period That Includes The Two World Wars.--provided By Publisher. Professor Penck's Pupils -- Objectivity -- Courtiers -- Beruf -- A League Of Their Own -- Ex-homes -- Twilight. Steven Seegel. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This book is a group intellectual biography of five prominent geographers from East Central Europe and the United States between the 1870s and the 1950s. Seegel recreates the public and private worlds of these mapmakers, who interacted with and influenced one another even as they played key roles in defining and redefining borders, territories, nations, and ultimately the interconnection of the world throughout the period that includes the two World Wars."--Résumé de l'éditeur This book is a group intellectual biography of five prominent geographers from East Central Europe and the United States between the 1870s and the 1950s: Albrecht Penck of Germany; Eugeniusz Romer of Poland; Stepan Rudnyts'kyi of Ukraine; Isaiah Bowman of the United States; and Count Pal Teleki of Hungary.