Mass card

The Masse maps were created in 1729-1730, when French engineers-geographers Claude and François Masse (father and son) mapped the border area between the France and the Southern Netherlands (from which Belgium originated later). The reason for this mapping was the war over the Spanish succession of the throne that raged in Europe between 1701 and 1713. The conflict was about who was entitled to the Spanish throne after the last count had died childless. France was violated from this battle and lost part of its territory, including in West Flanders. The new border showed a complicated pattern with enclaves along the border. For France, this was the “excuse” for a mapping of the entire region. The mapping began from 1724. But the terrain images for the map sheets of Ypres, Menen, Kortrijk, Wervik, Veurne, Nieuwpoort, Ostend took place in 1729-1730. Original scale 1:28,800 (1 inch=400 vadem)