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Schematic drawing of the western hemisphere of Behaim's globe made in Nuremberg in 1492. Because the globe was made before Columbus sailed there is nothing about the New World. The schematic was drawn by Friedrich Wilhlem Ghillany, and published in Geschichte des Seefahrers Ritter Martin Behaim, Nürnberg: Bauer und Raspe, J. Merz, 1853.
Schematic of the eastern hemisphere of Behaim's globe made in Nuremberg in 1492, drawn by Friedrich Wilhlem Ghillany, and published in Geschichte des Seefahrers Ritter Martin Behaim, Nürnberg, Bauer und Raspe, J. Merz, 1853.
A: Mitte, Nürnberg, Bayern, Germany
Produced in 1492 by German mariner, artist, cosmographer, astronomer, philosopher, geographerm and explorer Martin Behaim, the Erdapfel (earth apple) is considered the oldest surviving terrestrial globe.
It was constructed from a laminated linen ball in two halves, reinforced with wood and overlaid with a map painted by Nuremberg woodblock cutter, engraver and printer Georg Glockendon. The globe does not include the Americas since Columbus did not return to Spain before March 1493. It shows an enlarged Eurasian continent and an empty ocean between Europe and Asia. Since 1907 it has been preserved in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg.
