Deutsche Reichsbahn Map of the Surroundings of Berlin

This 1939 map shows how to navigate a train system that existed around Berlin, Germany. It was part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the German Railway, which was the public railroad system in Germany at the time. The cover depicts a waterfront nature scene with a train passing through. The text roughly translates to: “For excursions, take the S Bahn | Hiking route to the official pocket timetable for the surroundings of Berlin.” 1939 signalled the beginning of World War Two, so this map comes from the midst of Nazi Germany. The Nazis were anti modern art and pro folk culture, and the calm watercolour art of the cover reflects this. It shows the beauty of the serene nature which is so easily accessible from the nation's capital. The official type style for the government was Fraktur at this time, which is the blackletter font seen in the subtext on the cover and on the map’s header. Most German graphic design in the 1930s featured some version of Fraktur. The font for the guide at the bottom of the map and for labelling cities and towns are simple sans serif fonts, to make the information clear for the reader. The train stops are an italicised sans serif to create differentiation between the towns and the stops. The labelling for the forests, rivers, and other natural places is an italicised serif font. Maps rely on different but legible fonts so that the reader can easily understand the separate places that the map is showing, like river versus town. The map itself is a typical and informative map, showing the rail lines, train stations, and even things like churches to help people place themselves. It is a mundane and useful item that happens to be from a point in time that horrible things were happening.