Kalkar. - Calcaria Ducatus Clivensis, Multis Dotibus, Nobile Opp.

A fine copper engraved antique map - birds-eye view / plan of Kalkar by Braun and Hogenberg. From: 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Part 2'.
TRANSLATION OF CARTOUCHE TEXT: Kalkar, a town in the Duchy of Cleves, well known for its many excellent qualities. COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Kalkar was once built on an island in the Rhine by the Count of Cleves, as a defense against Cologne and Guelders, with whom the burghers of Cleves were constantly at war at that time. But now it is a breadbasket for all the surrounding villages and towns, for each week the outlying farmers bring their corn and grain to market here.
Kalkar is in a very favorable location, because the grain can be brought here on the Rhine in great ships. Kalkar has a good reputation for this reason, and its privileges also make it one of the most distinguished towns in the Duchy of Cleves."

This birds-eye view shows the city of Kalkar and its surroundings from the east. The magnificent gate in the middle of the plate is known as the Hanselaer gate. On the left-hand edge of the map can be seen Monterberg castle, one of the most important residences of the Counts of Cleves.
In this plate the town hall stands out clearly, as well as the late Gothic church of St Nicholas, which was consecrated in 1450. On the marketplace stands the so-called court linden tree. North of the marketplace a caption indicates the Beguinage. Kalkar was granted a municipal charter in 1242 and in the 14th century it concluded an agreement with Goch and Emmerich in respect of cloth production and wool processing.
From 1540 to 1572 Kalkar was a Hanseatic city with a population of about 5,000, but this prosperity came to an end in 1598 due to the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish (Taschen).

The 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum', or the "Braun & Hogenberg", is a six-volume town atlas and the greatest book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully colored. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso.
A large number of the plates were engraved after the original drawings of Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600), who was a professional artist. The first volume was published in Latin in 1572, the sixth volume in 1617. Frans Hogenberg created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel created those for volumes V and VI.
Other contributors were cartographer Daniel Freese, and Heinrich Rantzau. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used. Translations appeared in German and French.

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Reference: Van der Krogt 4, 2012; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.166.