Maps appear to be neutral. They describe the world. They depict it. Or not? Who decides whether a map shows a shopping center or a public toilet? Why is it that Europe is often at the center of world maps and not Australia? And why is north at the top on maps and not south, west or east? Because where there is a church on the map, there is actually a church. But whether there is a church on the map is a decision. Just like the question of whether Google Maps puts a symbol on shops and cafes or public water coolers and skate parks. It is not only obvious propaganda maps that have an agenda. Even very simple city maps or supposedly neutral world maps. Maps are an expression of the power of those who commission them. And for a long time, most maps were commissioned by large clients such as churches or state institutions. The fact that these maps reflect specific interests has been questioned in cartography since the 1960s. Critical cartography repeatedly points out how closely maps are linked to specific interests, to the emergence of European nation states and to colonialism. The question of who is allowed to map a region is also revealing. The residents themselves, as in a mapping project in an informal settlement in Kenya? Or a private company, as in the case of Google Maps, which records and interprets our space worldwide with a market share of more than 90 percent? In addition to science, art and indigenous peoples in particular repeatedly point to the power of maps. After all, creating maps requires money, access to education and authority. It is good to know what story lies behind the maps, what interest - and what potential. Sources & Links: 1. Inspiration: likes to make critical maps herself, collects critical maps and travels a lot in Peru https://ag-kggu.net/teammember/katrin... Geographer from Halle, works a lot with Open Street Maps, often travels to the Philippines https://digital.geo.uni-halle.de/mita... sometimes takes stamps with maps on them back from vacation and is, among other things, an expert on Gerhard Mercator https://www.uni-due.de/geschichte/ute... 2. How governments, map companies and Hollywood shift borders How Google Maps adjusts national borders depending on the user's location • Google maps changes disputed borders ... How the film "Barbie" incorporates a border preferred by China into a map https://www.cbsnews.com/news/barbie-m... How China is provoking other countries with its new national map https://www.fr.de/politik/xi-jinping-... A good overview of how maps distort reality https://katapult-magazin.de/de/artike... 3. Maps that change your perspective After the Australian Stuart McArthur was made fun of on his world travels, saying that he came “from the edge of the world”, he made this world map https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/McArthu... Art has also repeatedly criticized maps and their power: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%C3%A... A book with critical maps can be ordered here or downloaded as open access https://notanatlas.org/book/ An atmospheric documentation on the power of maps https://vimeo.com/363850593 Political borders are just social agreements, here is a map that only shows language areas https://native-land.ca/ Our home on native land (Disclaimer: This map does not represent or intend to represent official or legal boundaries of any Indigenous nations. To learn about definitive boundaries, contact the nations in question. Also, this map is not perfect -- it is a work in progress with tons of contributions from the community.) Permanent exhibition about one of the most important cartographers in history: https://www.stadtmuseum-duisburg.de/s... Music in this episode From “In Bruges”: “Medieval Waters” by Carter Burwell From “The Bourne Supremacy”: “Moscow Wind Up” by John Powell From “Moonlight”: “The Middle of the World” by Nicholas Britell Director: Julia Fritzsche (D 2024, 30 min) #maps #googlemaps #cartography Available until 15/09/2027 Link to the media library: https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/115510-... Subscribe to the ARTE YouTube channel: / artede Follow us on social networks: Facebook: / arte.tv Twitter: / artede Instagram: / arte.tv