Fantastische Karten | Fantastical Maps

Maps do more than describe the world we live in - they can create entirely new ones.

Through literature, games, and films, maps have shaped the way we experience stories for centuries. From 4 September - 5 December 2026, the exhibition Fantastical Maps From Legendary Stories at the Zentralbibliothek Zürich (Central Library of Zurich) invites you into these extraordinary worlds.

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"The Cauldron of Story"

This exhibition is based on a metaphor conceived of by J.R.R. Tolkien: the "Cauldron of Story." Fictional narratives - and with them, their maps - emerge from a continuous stew: a process of mixing, layering, and reinterpreting. Myths, fairy tales, legends, and literary traditions from diverse eras form the "ingredients" in this cauldron. Authors draw from these, transforming existing motifs and developing them further in new contexts.

Fantastical Maps translates this model into physical space: the exhibition layout itself is a "cauldron of stories." Along the outer wall of the Treasure Chamber at the Zentralbibliothek, a chronological narrative unfolds revealing how works and influences flowed into this cultural process. Maps are also presented in the centre of the room that served as historical references and significantly influenced the development of fictional cartography. These include in particular early modern maps of Switzerland, whose aesthetic and conceptual elements were later incorporated into literary worldviews.

Two collections – one dialogue

The exhibition's unique feature lies in combining two outstanding collections: Ex Carta, one of the most comprehensive private collections of fictional cartography, and the collection of the Maps and Panoramas Department of the Zentralbibliothek Zurich, with its significant cartographic-historical heritage.

At the common focal point - Tolkien's work and its connection to the history of Swiss cartography - a curatorial concept emerges that makes the interplay between reality and fiction tangible in a way that is unique to date.

Fantastische Karten | Fantastical Maps invites us to consider maps not only as illustrative elements of literary works, but as independent cultural artifacts. They are expressions of historical knowledge, aesthetic traditions, and narrative practices - and at the same time, projection surfaces for the imagination of entire worlds.

Exhibition Programming

• Live D&D campaign from 6.00 - 8.00 pm on the following dates: 10, 17, 24 September; 1, 8 October; 5, 12, 19, 26 November
• 15 September, 6.00 - 8.00 pm: You are standing at a crossroads, what do you do? D&D, maps, and worldbuilding
• 2 October, 6.00 - 8.00 pm: From Middle-Earth to Westeros: How maps create fantastic worlds
• 23 October, 4.00 - 6.00 pm: Mapping the Imagined – From Fantasy Cartography to Visualizing Ideas in Spatial Planning Maps
• 3 November, 6.00 - 8.00 pm: The Birth of Middle Earth: Tolkien's Journey to Switzerland in 1911
• 17 November, 6.00 - 8.00 pm: Guiding Principles for Navigating Moral Landscapes

Please note that all live programming will be in German only, unless otherwise indicated.

About Zentralbibliothek Zürich

The Zentralbibliothek Zürich (Central Library of Zurich) is one of the oldest and most important libraries in Switzerland, containing precious volumes of music, historical archives, literature – and maps.

It presents this exhibition in its beautiful, recently restored Treasure Chamber (Schatzkammer), adjacent to the Preacher’s Church (Predigerkirche) and just a few steps from the Limmat River. A fitting location for a display of maps from treasured stories that have been a source of wonder and inspiration for generations, and continue to percolate alongside one another in popular culture today.

Find out more and explore their collection at www.zb.uzh.ch

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