Kaart van de provincie Utrecht (vierde deel van onder) after 1696

This is Thomas Doesburgh’s “Kaart van de provincie Utrecht (vierde deel van onder)”, a historical map of the province of Utrecht, now held at the Rijksmuseum. This map offers us a glimpse into the intricate relationship between power, land, and identity during the period it was made. Maps like these weren't just tools for navigation; they were instruments of control. The detailed demarcation of territories reflects the socio-political structures of the time, revealing how land ownership and administrative divisions shaped the lives of the people who lived there. Consider how such maps affected those who were included—or excluded. For marginalized communities, these maps could have been symbols of oppression. How might it have felt to see your home represented in a way that prioritized the interests of the ruling class? While seemingly neutral, the act of mapping is always a subjective process. These maps leave us wondering about the stories of the people whose lives were directly impacted by these representations of space.