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Dr. Marcel van den Broecke (1942 - 2020)

Marcel van den Broecke


Marcel van den Broecke has specialized in Ortelius' maps over the last 25 years. He is considered to be the specialist in this subject and his numbering and classification system of Ortelius atlas maps has gained acceptance in map trade as well as map research.

bookORTELIUS ATLAS MAPS An illustrated Guide.
Among Marcel's numerous publications, this book is his most well-known. It provides information on the maps included in the first regular atlas that ever appeared, Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.
This atlas was first published in 1570 and underwent numerous editions. Its content was updated and expanded. It grew from 53 to 166 maps. The atlas was the most expensive book of the 16th century, but despite that, a bestseller and more than 7000 copies of it were printed. This illustrates its importance in the history of cartography, a fact recognized by Ortelius' contemporaries and map collectors and historians today.

The book serves as a guide, providing information on the occurrence of each map in various atlas editions, thereby allowing the reader to determine from which edition a loose map originates. It also includes information on the multiple states most maps went through and gives their cartographical sources.

An illustration opens the description of each map. The author has identified numerous new maps, which are described here for the first time. The guide opens with a brief biography of Ortelius and a survey of the editions of his atlas, and is concluded by indexes that facilitate quick map identification. This book is indispensable for anyone seeking detailed information about Ortelius' maps as they appear in his atlas.


van den BroeckeMarcel Peter René van den Broecke (Amsterdam, 25 May 1942 - Bilthoven, 8 March 2020)
Van den Broecke studied at the Barlaeus Gymnasium, followed by studies in chemistry at the Brandeis-university, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. He continued studying English, linguistics, and phonetics at the University of Amsterdam.
In 1986, he graduated with a PhD from Utrecht University, having studied Hierarchies and Rank Orders in Distinctive Features (van Gorcum, Assen).
In 1982-1983, he studied historical cartography at Utrecht University.
In 2009 he graduated as PhD in urbanistic sciences at Utrecht University, with his dissertation Ortelius, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570-1641)—characteristics and development of a sample of on verso map texts.

He was married to Dr. Deborah Günzburger, and he had four sons.


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