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Shadows of Empires
Welcome to Shadows of Empires, a digital historical mapping platform covering the transient nature of modern political borders in Europe and beyond since the mid-17th century. The platform allows the user to explore, compare, and contrast territorial definitions, imaginations and wartime arrangements of the various states in Europe and beyond, and helps visualize the shifting nature of their borders.
Ever wondered how the borders of your country changed over time? What about the intellectual concepts that served to define its territory and how they corresponded with any relevant projects conceived by national elites in neighboring states? Perhaps you are curious to know what wartime political entities existed on your country’s territory and their political allegiances? This digital project is designed to help you discover the history across post-imperial spaces through these sorts of geographical and political changes.
Simply pick a country and start your journey through time and space, add layers for other countries and political entities while also contrasting the officially established borders with those approved by international treaties, conceived by intellectuals or nationalist activists, and the various short-term forms of statehood. Or simply scroll through the country maps to see how the political map of the continent has changed over the centuries. Refer to our user guide to learn more about how to use our mapping platform, or get in touch with us if you have any feedback on our work.