Rare pictorial map published circa 1955 in the then German Democratic Republic by the Presse- und Informationsamt der DDR. The work was printed by the Berlin-based “VEB Verlag der Kultur und Fortschritt” and conceived as a visual propaganda tool to celebrate the cooperation of the three main socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe in the postwar period: East Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia.
In the midst of the Cold War, the map reflects the rhetoric and ideology of the Eastern Bloc regimes, visually illustrating the idea of solidarity, cooperation, and common will for peace of the three countries, squeezed into the orbit of the USSR. This message is sealed by the motto at the bottom of the map:
“Drei Völker – Drei Freunde – Ein Wille zum Frieden!”
(Three peoples – three friends – one will for peace!).
The spirit of the large representation is reinforced by a caricature illustration placed in the lower left corner with the “external enemies” – figures of capitalists and Nazis – pushed out of the context of the map. This visual detail symbolizes the willingness of the three socialist states to reject imperialism and fascism by asserting their autonomy.
The map is distinguished by its vivid and dense pictorial iconography. The cities are marked by stylized symbols of the main manufacturing and service sectors, following the legend on the right that lists industrial and steel plants, mines and coal quarries, shipyards, agricultural and livestock activities, etc…
The map stands out as one of the leading examples of propaganda cartography of socialist Europe, capable of combining informative content, iconographic detail and powerful visual political message.
