America was invented in Freiburg

July 11, 2018 by joachim

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This is what I found out as I recently visited the University of Freiburg in Germany, my Alma Mater:

Herr Waldseemueller was a cartograph in Freiburg who in 1507 published an updated map of the world, which included the New World, a mere sliver on the left. It was made from several large woodcuts painstakingly carved.  When he had to decide for a name of the new continent, his choice was influenced by the name of the discoverer Amerigo Vespucci.  But he decided to use a female version of his first name, on account of the fact that all other continents had female names.  This is how he came up with “America.”  His map was copied many times, so by the time he changed his mind, and opted for “Parrot Land” instead, his first choice was already firmly anchored in people’s minds.

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