Methods of Cartographic Visualisation in the Magazine Poznaj Swój Kraj in the Years 1958 to 1989

Abstract

Cartographic presentations were an important part of the Poznaj Swój Kraj magazine since its first issue in 1958. During more than 30 years of publishing the magazine in the Polish People’s Republic, 577 maps and cartographic studies were published, differing both in format and by degree of graphic sophistication. The maps mostly covered regions of Poland while their distribution reflected to a large extent the attractiveness of specific areas for the needs of qualified tourism. City plans began to be published on a larger scale from the mid- 1970s, which was connected to the decentralisation of administration at the provincial level, as well as to a change in the magazine’s publisher. The liberalisation of censorship with regard to geo-information also had some impact. The cartographic studies did not only deal with strictly tourism-related issues, but also pursued a broader thematic scope describing various natural and economic phenomena from a territorial perspective. In fact, this was a common template for tourist and travel literature, with less practical content and more propaganda. In addition to the thematic profile, this paper analyses the typical elements that comprise the content of maps published in the magazine, such as the presence of scale, compass rose, the key, elevation model representation, etc.