The changes shown in the following five display cases do not tell a chronologically ordered story of progress. Instead, they invite us to explore the complex relationship between maps, the "new" and the "unknown", as well as travel.

For a long time, the "rediscovery" of the work of the ancient geographer Claudios Ptolemy was regarded as a turning point in the history of cartography. And indeed, the image of the world expanded, as a comparison of a world map from this work [54] and the world map in Battista Agnese's Portolan Atlas [52] clearly shows.

However, the late medieval reader was well aware that Ptolemy's Cosmographia only offered the state of knowledge in antiquity. Accordingly, "modern" maps, such as the map of the Holy Land, were very soon added to update the work, as is the case in the early printed edition from Ulm [51]. This combination of different map types in one work in turn inspired new combinations, such as the inclusion of the Holy Land map in the Portolan Atlas by Battista Agnese [53].

Although they were created at very different times, the maps in this display case all bear witness to the appeal of the "new" - be it new knowledge or new techniques for visualizing it. The small-format portolan atlas by Pietro Vesconte [58], for example, is one of the earliest examples of the method of combining several nautical charts into one "atlas" - more than 200 years before the development of the modern atlas. The large number of surviving Portolan atlases testifies to the long-term success of the model, which was subsequently expanded to include new discoveries.

In addition to the division of the world into several individual maps, large world maps in the style of nautical charts show that mapmakers of the time were looking for ways to depict the "New World". An innovative strategy can be seen on this map from 1519 [55]: The world was divided up and the "New World" placed on the front and the "Old World" (not seen here) on the back of the map.

However, it was not only new discoveries from afar that captivated medieval and early modern readers, but also more up-to-date or simply more entertaining descriptions of the familiar: Cristoforo Buondelmonti's book of islands became a bestseller and reflected, for example in the map of Constantinople [56], the handling of political changes in the Mediterranean region.

However, as the objects in this display case show, the significance of historical maps does not necessarily lie in the new knowledge they incorporate. The mapmakers of the magnificent Estense world map [59] preferred to use the proven model of the medieval circular map to depict the entire world known at the time of its creation. They only occasionally drew on the newer, more precise representation of coastlines and incorporated them into their map.

In the case of the Tabula Peutingeriana [57], such recourse to predecessors and the tried and tested proved to be a stroke of luck: this map, copied from an ancient model in the 12th/13th century, presumably contains no innovations or contemporary updates. However, because it is the only surviving evidence of such ancient Roman road maps, its cultural-historical value cannot be denied. In contrast to what is usual for medieval maps, we can assume from the unique depiction of the road network and accommodation that it was created for the preparation of journeys.

The Ebstorf World Map [60], named after its place of origin, the Ebstorf Monastery, is another example of the way in which the importance and fame of historical maps did not only arise from the character of the new. It is by no means the earliest medieval circular world map, but its size and magnificent design make it internationally famous.  Its creation in a convent for women also sets it apart. Finally, it is regionally significant due to the presence of ‘Cassela’ - our city of Kassel!

The contrast between the typical medieval depiction of Asia on the Ebstorf world map [60] and the map of the Chinese Empire [61] illustrates the increase in knowledge within around 350 years: Numerous journeys and the accounts that emerged from them gradually expanded our knowledge of this part of the world. The Atlas Sinensis by the Dutchman Jean Blaeu, from which the map of the Chinese Empire [61] originates, can also be traced back to such a travelogue and remained the standard work on China until well into the 18th century.

The facsimiles in this display case address the topic of how the ‘foreign’ and the departure were visualised on maps and in books. The focus of this map [64] is on the "New World" with its imagined inhabitants, flora and fauna. The colourful and luxurious design draws the viewer's eye and enables an imaginary journey there.

This depiction of the city of Bukhara and its inhabitants in the Book of Miracles [65] may have seemed more familiar to medieval readers due to the style of the book illumination. However, this did not diminish the impression of foreignness in the travelogue. Thus Marco Polo, like the author of this Crusader Chronicle [63], invited his readers to experience the dangers, adventures and achievements in foreign lands.

One such departure into a foreign land is also visualised in the Codex Azcatlan -  but in this case from a perspective that is less familiar to us. This manuscript, written in Mexico, deals with the history of the Aztecs up to the arrival of the Europeans. Here, the departure from their homeland of Aztlán [62], which lies in the mythical past, is illustrated, with the events of the journey depicted in carefully executed pictograms.