Dutch Cartographic Association

The NVK or Nederlandse Vereniging voor Kartografie (Dutch Cartographic Association) was founded in 1975 as a continuation of the 'Cartographic Section' of the Royal Netherlands Geographical Society (KNAG), established in 1958. In 2003, the association merged with geodetic and surveying societies and became part of Geo-Informatie Nederland (GIN). From 1958 onwards, the NVK, or its predecessor, was a member of the 'International Cartographic Association' (ICA); this membership was taken over by GIN. The NVK's map collection (approximately 875 maps from the period 1900-1999) was transferred to the Special Collections of Utrecht University Library in 2000.

NVK

History

In 1958, the 'Cartographic Section' was established within the KNAG to enrich cartographic practice with theoretical development and education. This was achieved through the establishment of chairs in cartography in Enschede (ITC) and at Utrecht University, and a lectureship at Delft University of Technology. These developments were reflected in the journals Kartografie and Kaartbulletin. On January 31, 1975, the NVK's founding meeting was held at the University Library of Amsterdam, where it was presented as an independent professional association for cartographers. According to the members, this independence was necessary due to "the growing isolation of the Cartographic Section within the KNAG, reflected in the limited participation of geographers in the Section's activities and the weak appreciation for cartographic articles in the Geographical Journal." This did not mean that the association was turning its back on the KNAG, but rather that a different position for cartography within the field of geography was envisioned. Throughout its existence, the NVK has primarily focused on establishing cartographic training programs at various levels, such as the PBNA Cartographic Drawing course and the cartography program at the HTS (Higher Technical College of Architecture) in Utrecht, and on strengthening contact between cartographers and map-managing and map-producing institutions.

Major publications
  • Cartography, Proceedings of the Cartographic Section of the Royal Netherlands Geographical Society. 1-68, 1958-1974. Online version.
  • Royal Netherlands Geographical Society, Cartographic Section. Map Bulletin. 1-37, 1961-1974. Online version.
  • Netherlands Society for Cartography. Cartographic Journal. Vol. 1-29, 1975-2003. Online version. ISSN 0167-5788.
  • E.S. Bos ... [et al.] (Working Group on Cartographic Terminology, compilation). Cartographic Dictionary. Zwolle, Netherlands Society for Cartography, 1991. 155 pp. Contains German, English, and French term equivalents. Online version.
  • Netherlands Society for Cartography. NVK publication series. No. 1-33, 1991-2002. ISSN 0926-5007. Continued as: GIN publication series. No. 1-3, 2004-2007. ISSN 2452-3674.
KT-1984-I
Cartographic Journal

The (State) Utrecht University has a rich tradition in cartography, particularly due to the influence of the following prominent professors:

    Cornelis (Cor) Koeman (1918–2006): He is considered the founder of academic cartography in the Netherlands. In 1969, he became the first full professor of cartography at Utrecht University. He achieved international fame with his monumental work Atlantes Neerlandici, the first complete bibliography of atlases published in the Netherlands.
    Ferjan Ormeling (1942–2025): He succeeded Koeman and was professor of cartography from 1985 to 2008. Ormeling put Utrecht on the international map, particularly in the fields of atlas cartography and toponomy (the study of place names). He received the prestigious Mercator Medal for this, among other awards. 
   Günter Schilder (born 1942): As Professor of Historical Cartography (1981–2005), he was a driving force behind research into the history of cartography. Under his leadership, the Utrecht department grew into a global center of expertise for the study of old maps.

These professors laid the foundation for the university's current map and atlas collection, which is among the most important in the world.

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