Maps

Topographic Maps

The topographic maps of the BEV are available in the scales 1:25 000, 1:50 000, 1:250 000 and 1:500 000. They serve for information and orientation purposes and as a planning basis in the fields of leisure, the economy, administration, science, and the military and in many other applications.

Products

Austrian Map 1:50 000-UTM
in the Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinate System

The Austrian Map 1:50 000-UTM (ÖK50-UTM) is the national topographic basic series of maps and has been available nationwide since the beginning of 2010. The contents are presented on the basis of the ÖK50-UTM map legend. Since 2011 the ÖK50-UTM has been published as a joint map of the BEV and the Institute of Military Geography (IMG) of the Ministry of Defence (BMLV). The civil and military contents have been combined.

Updating

On average, there is a six year cycle of updating all map data. Significant changes concerning roads, power plants etc. are captured regularly and if necessary published in an interim edition with the respective supplements.

Projection

The conformal depiction of the earth ellipsoid onto a plane is made in ETRS89 by the UTM-projection. The UTM-grid serves to determine the coordinates of objects. Information about the position reporting system is available on every map sheet.
 

Form of Edition

Since 2020 the ÖK50-UTM has been published in a new layout.

Each of the 191 map sheets has an expansion of 20′ x 12′ and covers an area
of approximately 560 km².

Forms of editions:
ÖK50-UTM - roads and trail marks - folded
ÖK50-UTM - roads and trail marks - flat

Austrian Map 1:25 000V-UTM
in the Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinate System

The Austrian Map 1:25 000V-UTM (ÖK25V-UTM) is the enlarged version ("V") of the Austrian Map 1:50 000-UTM. It is published simultaneously with the edition of a new ÖK50-UTM sheet and is available for all of Austria. The enlarged map format makes it necessary to depict the area of one ÖK50-UTM sheet in four parts on two map sheets. The contents of an ÖK50-UTM sheet are divided into a western and an eastern half, whereby the northern half is printed on the front page and the southern half on the back side of a map sheet, including an overlap. Due to the cooperation with the BMLV, since 2011 the ÖK25V-UTM has been printed with an additional military layer.

Updating

On average, there is a six year cycle of updating all map data. Significant changes concerning roads, power plants etc. are captured regularly and if necessary published in an interim edition with the respective supplements.

Projection

The conformal depiction of the earth ellipsoid onto a plane is made in ETRS89 by UTM-projection. The UTM-grid serves to determine the coordinates of objects. Information about the position reporting system is available on every map sheet.

Form of Edition

The conformal depiction of the earth ellipsoid onto a plane is made in ETRS89 by UTM-projection. The UTM-grid serves to determine the coordinates of objects. Information about the position reporting system is available on every map sheet.

Each of the 356 map sheets has an expansion of 10′ x 12′ and covers an area of
approximately 280 km².

Forms of edition:
ÖK25V-UTM - roads and trail marks - folded
ÖK25V-UTM - roads and trail marks - flat

Overview

Austrian Map 1:250 000
in the Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinate System

The Austrian Map 1:250 000 (ÖK250) was published as a joint map of the BEV and the Institute of Military Geography (IMG) of the Ministry of Defence for the first time in 2011. It is a topographic overview map with contour lines, rock representation and hill shading. It also shows an extensive presentation of settlements, the networks of water bodies and traffic as well as names of settlements and of important objects. As this map also is the official military map, additional relevant traffic information e.g. important connections, road width and steep slopes as well as locations of hospitals are depicted.

Updating

The map is updated continuously and there is a three year cycle of editing. The present issue was printed in 2017.

Projection

The conformal depiction of the earth ellipsoid onto a plane is made in ETRS89 by UTM-projection. The map has a UTM and a geographic coordinate grid.

Form of Edition

The Austrian territory and the neighbouring foreign areas are depicted on 12 map sheets.
Each of the map sheets has an expansion of 2° x 1° and covers an area of approximately 17 000 km² and is printed up to the edge in the North and the East.

Forms of edition:
ÖK250 - folded
ÖK250 - flat

Austrian Map 1:500 000
in the Lambert Conformal Conic System

The Austrian Map 1:500 000 (ÖK500) depicts all of Austria on a single map sheet. It is available in two forms, a topographic and a political edition.

Updating

The map is updated continuously and the topographic map is reissued every three to four years. The next issue will be printed in 2020. The political issue is updated continuously and is available as a free-ofcharge download.

Projection

The conformal projection of the earth ellipsoid onto a two-dimensional plane is made in ETRS89 by the Lambert conformal conic projection with the two equidistant parallels of latitude N 46° and 49° in the international reference system.

Form of Edition

The printed topographic edition contains a richly structured overview with the complete railway network and all highways, roads, thoroughfares and connecting roads.

The political edition includes the present topography and the updated administrative boundaries (political districts).

In addition, there is a gazetteer available including a search index, which facilitates finding geographic terms in the ÖK500 with a search grid.

Forms of edition:
ÖK500 - topographic - folded
ÖK500 - topographic - flat
ÖK500 - political - PDF
Gazetteer ÖK500

Regional Maps

ÖK25 - Schneeberg und Rax

The map "Schneeberg und Rax" in the scale 1:25 000 has the biggest amount of information and the highest level of detail of all national topographic maps. In addition to the trail marks the map shows fixed rope routes, shelters, bus stops and parking sites.

ÖK50 - Umgebungskarte Wien

The map "Wien - Umgebung" in the scale 1:50 000 is composed of the respective sections of the existing Austrian map 1:50 000. It shows roads and also trail marks as well as pharmacies (only in Lower Austria, but not in Vienna) and hospitals.

Updating

The whole content of the maps is updated approx. every three to four years.
The ÖK25 "Schneeberg und Rax" is reissued in 2020 and the ÖK50 "Wien - Umgebung" in 2019.

Projection

The conformal projection of the earth ellipsoid onto a two-dimensional plane is made in ETRS89 by UTM-projection. The UTM-grid serves to determine the coordinates of objects. Information about the position reporting system is available on every map sheet.

Form of Edition

The content of the ÖK25 "Schneeberg und Rax" and the ÖK50 "Wien - Umgebung" map sheets is divided into a western and an eastern half and printed on the face and back side of the sheet, up to the edge in the North and the East, including an overlap.

The map sheet of the ÖK25 "Schneeberg und Rax" has an expansion of 19′ x 10′ and covers an area of approximately 460 km².

The map sheet of the ÖK50 "Wien - Umgebung" has an expansion of 22′ 35′′ x 45′ 30′′ and covers an area of approximately 2 370 km².

Forms of edition:
ÖK25 "Schneeberg und Rax" - folded
ÖK50 "Wien - Umgebung" - folded

Map Legend

The legend consists of a comprehensive depiction and explanation of the symbols, fonts and abbreviations of the Austrian Map 1:50 000 and Austrian Map 1:25 000V in UTM.

The symbols are enlarged for easier reading and correspond to the scale of the ÖK25V. The content is structured as follows: lines of communication, settlements, vegetation cover, single symbols, waters, terrain representation, foot path marking, heights, names, boundaries and road lines.

At the edge of each map sheet there is an excerpt of the legend showing the most important symbols.

The legend of the Austrian Maps ÖK50-UTM and ÖK25V-UTM and the legend of the foreign original data (in the ÖK50 the depiction of the foreign territories is based on the original foreign data if possible) are available at www.bev.gv.at as free-of-charge PDF-download: "Support/Download/Formatbeschreibungen und sonstige Informationen" as well as under the respective product descriptions.

Cartometre

The cartometre of the BEV provides the user of the national topographic maps with a technical tool that makes it possible to determine various measurement variables such as distances, coordinates, inclinations and directions easily and quickly.

Likewise, the cartometre can be used to transfer values determined in the field such as distances, coordinates read from a GPS-receiver or directions determined by a compass, to a map.

The cartometre can be used for the topographic maps with the traditional Austrian Reporting System (ÖK25V-BMN, ÖK50-BMN, ÖK200-BMN) as well as for the new national maps (ÖK25V-UTM, ÖK50-UTM) with the UTM-grid.

Historical Maps

On April 24, 1869 Emperor Franz Joseph I decreed the reorganisation of the k.k. Militärgeographische Institut (the predecessor of the BEV) and a new cartographic survey (Landesaufnahme), called the 3rd or Francisco- Josephinische Landesaufnahme (1869 - 1887).

The scale set for the coloured map sheets was 1:25 000, in Transylvania the new survey had already been started and was continued in the scale 1:28 800. In the area of Vienna, 47 sheets in the scale 1:12 500 were mapped. It took only 18 years to cover the whole Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

The new Special Map 1:75 000 was derived from the 3rd Landesaufnahme as a homogeneous frame map. Shading and contour lines were combined in this map for the very first time, a fact to be particularly highlighted. By generalising the Special Map 1:75 000, other maps, e.g. the General Map of Central Europe 1:200 000 and the Overview Map of Central Europe in the scale 1:750 000 were produced.

In BEV′s map archives different historical maps are managed and older editions of the present range of publications are archived. The following historical maps are available:

3rd Landesaufnahme (1869 - 1887)

The 3rd or Francisco-Josephinische Landesaufnahme took only 18 years to map the whole monarchy in polyhedra projection on 2 780 sheets in coloured hand drawings. The survey scale was 1:25 000. In the area of Vienna 47 sheets in the scale 1:12 500 were made.

4th Landesaufnahme (1896 - 1915)

Until 1915 only 388 sheets of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy were mapped in the course of the 4th or Precision Landesaufnahme. Only 25 of them cover parts of today′s Austria. The survey scale remained 1:25 000 as in the 3rd Landesaufnahme.

Special Map 1:75 000 (1872 - 1944)

The trapezoidal sheets in the sheet cut 30′ x 15′ - longitude and latitude (starting from Ferro) - were published from 1872 onwards. In addition to the 752 sheets of the monarchy, there are also some sheets covering foreign territory. From 1912 onwards, some sheets were published in multicolour print.

Overview Map of Central Europe 1:750 000

Projection Bonne (1882 - 1940)

The set of maps was derived from the General Map of Central Europe 1:300 000 (Scheda-Karte) and covers the area between Corfu and St Petersburg and from Brussels to Kiev. 54 sheets were published in multicolour print.

General Map of Central Europe 1:200 000 (1887 - 1973)

This set of maps was published in 265 sheets in multicolour print. One map sheet covers one complete degree square with eight sheets of the special map 1:75 000. The first sheets were published in 1887.

Maps of different areas and surroundings from all over the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in various scales

E.g. Surroundings of Vienna 1880, scale 1:25 000, 40 sheets, 24 of them in multicolour print.

Historical Atlas of the Austrian Alpine Provinces

This atlas consists of seven thematic map sheets and reflects the ecclesiastical structure of the Austrian Provinces. The thematic maps include explanatory texts.
Format: 54 cm x 45,5 cm, paperback, with accompanying text.

Historical Maps Legend

The historical maps legend is a graphic and textual explanation of the cartographic symbols, which are used in the format of the respective maps.

Austrian Map 1:25 000 (1923-1959)

The first sheet of the Austrian Map 1:25 000 was published in multicolour print in 1923. A third of Austria′s territory had been covered until this series of maps was stopped in 1959.

Provisional Edition of the Austrian Map 1:50 000 (1945 - 1970)

Since only 18 map sheets of the Austrian Map 1:50 000 had been published between 1924 and 1938, the missing sheets were produced from 1945 onwards by enlarging the Special Map from 1:75 000 to 1:50 000, it was edited with green forest cover.

Austrian Map 1:50 000-BMN

Over the years, the Provisional Edition of the Austrian Map 1:50 000 (1945 - 1970) was replaced by the Austrian Map 1:50 000-BMN, which then was the Austrian Topographic Basic Map up to the introduction of the ÖK50-UTM. The Austrian territory was covered by 213 sheets. The last update of individual sheets was made in 1999. The 1:50 000-BMN is no longer updated, it was replaced by the ÖK50-UTM.

Austrian Map 1:50 000-UTM

The ÖK50-UTM was originally published in different formats that had different content and were adjusted to different purposes. As of 2008 the new editions of the maps were just editions with roads and trail marks. Since the beginning of 2016 the whole Austrian territory has been covered by the version "roads and trail marks". Since 2011 the ÖK50-UTM has had a new layout and additional featured military relevant contents, such as military training areas, restricted zones, hospitals and pharmacies. One very important feature is the up to the edge in the North and East as well as the overlapping to the respective neighbouring map sheets.

Austrian Map 1:25 000V-BMN

The Austrian Map 1:25 000V-BMN is the enlarged edition ("V") of the Austrian Map 1:50 000-BMN. In order to provide a user friendly format, the northern part was printed on the face and the southern part on the back of the sheet, including an overlap. The last update of individual sheets was made in 1999. The ÖK25V-BMN was replaced by the ÖK25V-UTM.

Austrian Map 1:25 000V-UTM

Up to 2008 the ÖK25V-UTM was published as edition with trail marks. Since the end of 2008 the ÖK25V-UTM has been published as edition with roads and trail marks. Since the beginning of 2016 the whole Austrian territory has been covered by the version "roads and trail marks". Since 2011 the ÖK25V-UTM has a new layout and additional featured military relevant contents, such as military training areas, restricted zones, hospitals and pharmacies. One very important feature is the bleeding edge in the North and East as well as the overlapping to the respective neighbouring map sheets.

Austrian Map 1:200 000-BMN (1961 - 1999)

The Austrian Map 1:200 000-BMN replaced the General Map of Central Europe regarding the territory of Austria. The map series consists of 23 sheets and was derived from the Austrian Map 1:50 000. The cartographic design also follows the ÖK50-BMN. The last update of individual sheets was made in 1999. The ÖK200-BMN was replaced by the Bundesländerkarte (maps of the provinces) in the scale 1:200 000 (ÖK200-BLK).

Due to the transformation into the scale 1:250 000 and the subsequent new sheet layout the Bundesländerkarte 1:200 000 was substituted by the Austrian Map 1:250 000 in 2011.

As an example for many historical maps, on www.bev.gv.at every month a selected "Historical Map of the Month" is presented.

Application Possibilities

The historical topographic maps of various years of production are valuable witnesses of history and important cultural assets. They are suitable for various applications:

• As a source for historical and local research
• As a historic document of scenic and industrial developments
• As a basis for regional and settlement geographic research
• For scientific studies
• As a guide to research family history
• For tourism
• As a decorative work of art due to its elaborate artistic design

Form of Edition

As far as available, complete map sheets of historical series of maps are sold in the original edition.

Scans of historical maps are available digitally as raster file without (PDF format) or with georeferencing (JPEG format).

Standard Charges

Information

General Terms and Conditions

The terms of delivery and payment as well as the copyright notice are set out in the current Terms and Licensing Conditions of the BEV.

Standard Charges and Licensing Conditions

The prices and licensing conditions for the products of the BEV are regulated in the "Standard Charges and Licensing Conditions of the BEV" as applicable from time to time. The current version is published in the "Amtsblatt für das Vermessungswesen" (official journal for surveying) and can be found on www.bev.gv.at.

Delivery and Up-to-dateness

Maps are available for the whole Austrian territory. They are delivered in various sheet cuts and scales.

More details and information about the up-to-dateness of the individual maps can be found in the product information on www.bev.gv.at.

Shops and Services

The menu item "Shops und Services" on www.bev.gv.at provides extensive possibilities for research and ordering.

Overview