Europe 1492: View of the World

A world without the Americas seems inconceivable today. Martin Behaim created his globe between 1492 and 1494 – coinciding precisely with Columbus’s supposed “discovery” of the Americas. Which explains why that pair of continents is missing from Behaim’s globe – and why this object seems so fascinating today. The world-famous terrestrial globe is not just a milestone in the history of cartography. It also bears witness to a rapidly and drastically changing worldview during the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era – with all its positive and negative implications. Since May 18, 2023, the globe has been listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register!