In the article is presented a method for creating an interactive web map of the preindustrial state on the basis of analogue nineteenth-century maps of Upper Silesia (southern Poland). The main objective was to present a universal operation scheme that would allow one to transform old topographic maps into interactive web maps. The Leaflet library was use as a working environment for programming. The most important element of the work was the use of GeoJSON files. Advantages and disadvantages of the developed scheme and applied solutions were indicated.

The aim of this study is to determine the informational resource of maps (two folios) of the Urmesstischblätter with reference to the legend (three editions). Visual analysis was used as the basis for acquiring information that could be gleaned from the legends, contents of the folios, marginalia and later map. The information gathered was grouped applying the geoinformational method. The informational resource of the folios was determined by identifying separate objects present on the map with reference to the legend (number of separations in the legend), taking into consideration the geometrical type of objects. In addition, the informational resource of a folio was also defined by the number of features of these objects that can be obtained (from the legend, cartographic content, marginalia, Messtischblätter) with reference to cartographic measurement levels.

The aim of the study is to present landscape changes in the nineteenth century in the central part of the Upper Silesian Industrial District, which is the municipality of Katowice (southern Poland). The comparison of changes, particularly components of the geographical environment, is based on two time periods – the year 1827 and 1883. Nineteenth-century maps were georeferenced, digitized and a series of thematic spatial visualizations presenting quantitative changes were generated by means of the Geographic Information System (GIS). The scale of the visualization created is 1:100,000 and the area is 16,400 ha. The spatial visualization of quantitative landscape change shows the development of the anthropogenic pressure in the form of settlement areas, raw materials extraction places, roads, and the decrease of natural environments, such as forests, rivers, and water bodies. These changes were caused mainly by the exploration of underground deposits and the rapidly growing population of Upper Silesia.

In the article, authors have analyzed cartographic materials presenting the spatial development of Gliwice with the use of multimedia tools. The materials prove that this area has played an important part in the road system of the region, country and even part of Europe since the 19th century. The six maps from the studied area were analyzed e.g., the Urmesstischblätter map, polish topographic maps, and the OpenStreetMap. Based on these maps and their legends, vectorization of the main roads of the analyzed area was carried out. The evolution of the main road corridors on the six maps was analyzed with respect to the location of the European freeway junction (A1/A4), constituting a basis for the web map. According to the authors, the use of the interactive web map is the most comprehensive method of all technologies used by modern cartography. Spatial data collected from different cartographic publications (from the first half of the 19th century till the present) consider the most significant aspects of changes in the road network of the analyzed area in a detailed and user-friendly way.

Technological advancement of the last decades allowed one to develop the process of documentation and popularize the cultural heritage in the form of spatial objects and structures by means of reality modelling. The main goal of the article was to develop a methodology based on the compilation of activities in the field of acquisition (UAV), processing (Metashape and SkechUp), and publication (YouTube) of the data for the purpose of documentation and promotion of topographic cultural heritage objects recorded on nineteenth century maps (pre-industrial landscape). The research was carried out on a windmill located in Kamionka (Poland). It is located in the region of Wielkopolska (Witkowo borough), the cultural landscape of which, despite the progressive industrialization in the nineteenth century, has been shaped mainly by the agricultural land use. The most important results obtained at subsequent stages of the work were finally presented in the form of a short film. This type of presentation based on the use of multimedia is a comprehensive form of sharing research results. YouTube, as the leading medium for publishing audiovisual content, is one of the best places to share research results related to the promotion of cultural heritage.