Mapping the liquid territories of the Danube Delta (Romania): The atlases of the European Commission of the Danube

Abstract

The European Commission of the Danube (ECD) 1856–1939 published an impressive number of maps, the most important being included in four atlases. However, despite previous efforts, until 1870, no precise map of the Danube Delta based on a unitary triangulation survey has been published. This article examines the mapping effort to recreate the triangulation network containing all the 110 points, based on the distances specified in the 1874 atlas, landmarks discovered during fieldwork and other reference layers used for georeferencing the 1870, 1886 and 1902 maps. Moreover, it offers supplementary information about ECD's vision of the liquid territories and their central feature: water and its representation on cartographic material. In our explanation, we explore the differences between various cartographic products and other sources of information used by the European Commission of the Danube to update its navigation charts. By reproducing these mapping efforts, we highlight the technical challenges for accurately mapping the Danube Delta's everchanging territory. Furthermore, by carrying out the work on digitising and indexing available cartographic material and validating them for accuracy we deliver an enhanced resource that can provide a new understanding for these maps, given their political and economic message. Finally, in this article we offer some reflections on the possible propaganda role the atlases may have played, as the accurate map building role of the ECD does not only assert technical mastery, but also makes a statement of control over the mapped territory.