Scherer, Heinrich

Heinrich Scherer (1628-1704) was a Jesuit priest, Munich university lecturer and polymath. His life’s work was the Atlas Novus, completed shortly before his death, published in 8 volumes 1702-1710. It was bound to Church doctrine: for example, Copernicus and Kepler are not acknowledged. Religious themes feature heavily, which make the Atlas Novus one of the first printed compilations of thematic maps. Innovative presentations include world maps from the perspective of the poles, that place east Asia rather than Europe in the center, and that anticipate Rigobert Bonne’s later heart-shaped projections. He also published Géographie Naturelle et Physique and Géographie Hiérarchique (1703) & Atlas Marianus (1702).