Complete set of 7 maps of German provinces.

The extremely rare set of seven maps, prepared by Johann Michael Gigas who sold the maps separately and later included them in the first Regional Atlas "Prodomus Geographicus, hoc est archiepiscopatus Coloniensis annexarumque et vicinarum aliquot regionum descriptio nova".
Johannes Gigas (Lügde 1582-1637 Munster) was physician and mathematician and published in 1620 the first atlas of the Archdiocese of Cologne with a total of 7 maps and 9 citysviews whose area coincides approximately with the present territory of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The cartography is essentially based on the maps by Gerhard Mercator, but are much richer in detail and scale, due to its advanced surveying techniques and offer a variety of features which show the clear independence of the maps.
Remarkable is also the unusually high number of registered places in the Rhineland and in the Sauerland, the initial distortion of paths and roads and marking of territories by the corresponding crests.
The "Atlas of the Archbishopric of Cologne", itself is very rare and only 10 copies are recorded. (Peter H. Meurer, Atlantes Colonienses. Die Kölner Schule der Atlas kartographie, p.201, Note 32.)

The maps are as follows:
- "Archiepiscopatus Coloniensis Pars Australis" and
- "Pars Septentrionalis", with the Rhine from Xanten to Mulheim, the Ruhr and the Bergisch Land and from Koln to Lahnstein and the Bergisch Land with Bensberg and to Lahn.
- "Ducatus cum Westphaliae annexis" with Sauerland.
- "Paderbornensis Episcopatus Descriptio Nova".
- "Episcopatus Monasteriensis Pars Australis" and
- "Pars Septentrionalis" with Munster as a central location and with the Ems from Holtgast to Bramsche and the Oldenburger Münsterland.
- "Corbeiensis Dioecesis per ut nunc est, descriptio nova" with Hoxter as central location.

Reference: Merlo 291; Meurer, Atlantis Coloniensis, p 43; Werner Bergmann, facsimile edition, Bottrop, 2012.