The "Atlas zu Alex v. Humboldt’s Kosmos" was introduced by Traugott Brome and published by Kreiss & Hofmann publishing house to accompany Alexander von Humboldt's seminal work, "Kosmos." While the Cosmos aimed to present the interconnectedness of natural phenomena, readers often perceived it as an instructional textbook, leading to a need for additional aids like commentaries and atlases. In response to this need, England (with the help of Petermann and Johnston), had already produced an atlas to complement Humboldt's work. However, Germany lacked a graphic work to explain and supplement the physical description of the world. Traugott Bromme introduced the atlas as an attempt to address this gap.
The atlas is designed to provide instruction and explanation for readers who may not be well-versed in the specific disciplines covered in Humboldt's Cosmos. It covers various aspects, including the shape and density of the Earth, geological epochs, volcanic activity, and the Earth's surface features.
The foreword emphasizes that the atlas is not meant to be a mere commentary but an independent textbook, presenting the world plan and order of nature articulated in Humboldt's Cosmos. It aims to explain the basic principle of Humboldt's work – "to understand the world phenomena as a natural whole" – and serves as a companion to the Cosmos, enhancing readers' comprehension of the intricate connections within the physical world.
The atlas's sources include the editor's own drawings and manuscripts from years of travel and nature studies, as well as contributions from other scientists and geographers, both German and international. These sources include works by Bernhard Cotta, Oerstedt, Oken, Cuvier, and others, covering topics ranging from physics and physical geography to meteorology and geology.
Contents of the atlas can be divided into follwoing parts:
- Representation of Nature as a Whole (celestial an terrestrial)
- Earth's Body and Internal Activity
- Geognostic Epochs
- Solid and Liquid Earth
- Thermal Conditions and Ocean Currents
- Geographical Distribution of Organisms
Atlas von Alexander von Humboldt's Kosmos presents a landmark
