Kartograficzny zapis przestrzeni historycznej w korelacji ze źródłami pisanymi

Through the analysis of the land use depicted on old maps we can acquire new knowledge about man and the environment, as well as aspects related to the mutual relations between them. For this reason, in addition to use in the presented paper written historical sources, we should refer to archival cartographic studies, which constitute a valuable source of information on many levels. Usage of old maps in studies allows us to discover new information, e.g. the spatial relationship, which can not be found in written communications. This paper attempts to determine how much archival cartographic materials stands for an independent source of information. The study aimed to identify the extent to which the map (the content) can supplement written historical information and what conditions should be met in order to be able to use this type of material in research. In this paper were verified information about the topography of the surrounding area of Śrem (Greater Poland) in the nineteenth century, on changes in the settlement network. Information about the changes in the space contained in the literature created a background for activities associated with completing the relevant maps and reflections on the transformations of the settlement pattern of the study area