Matthäus Seutter (1678 – 1757): The Augsburg Cartographer Matthäus Seutter, born in Augsburg, Germany, on September 20, 1678, was a pivotal figure in the history of German cartography during the Enlightenment. His life began humbly as an apprentice brewer—a profession seemingly incongruous with his later artistic endeavors—but he swiftly transitioned to Nuremberg where he honed his skills as an engraver under the tutelage of Johann Baptist Homann, arguably the most influential map publisher of his time. This formative apprenticeship instilled in him a meticulous attention to detail and estab…