Spatial Distribution of Rural Social Strata: Using Digitised Maps in Historical Research

This article deals with using digitised maps in historical research and their possible contributions to it. The use of cartographic data is especially useful in research dealing with the spatial distribution of various phenomena. The spatial distribution of rural social strata is one such phenomenon that has not yet received much attention. The case study of Pischeisdorf, an Austrian settlement, in the beginning of the nineteenth century shall serve as an example for such research. Pischeisdorf is situated in the Austrian province of Styria, about 150 km from Vienna, and served as a small centre for trade and handicraft for the surrounding villages. This study is based on the land register of 1822 which has been digitised.