Vintage globe 1950/1953 terrestrial Räth world map ex-GDR - 52 cm

Blown glass globe, made in East Germany (formerly GDR), published by the Räth house of Leipzig under the direction of Professor Dr. Arthur Krause, in excellent condition. One of the first globes produced by this brand, in remarkable condition, very rare in this large blown glass size. How to date this globe: Several cartographic details allow for precise dating of this specimen: The cartouche mentions a licence "Mdl. Der DDR" (Ministry of the Interior of the GDR), proof that it was produced after the establishment of the German Democratic Republic in 1949. On the Black Sea, the Bulgarian city of Varna still bears the name "Stalin, " which it only held from 1949 to 1956. The Volga still carries the name "Stalingrad" (used until 1961). The publisher's name, "Verlag Paul Räth G.m.b.H., " as well as the relatively low licence number, correspond to the very first examples produced under this regime, before the reorganisation of the company into "Nachf. KG" in the second half of the 1950s. By cross-referencing these elements, this globe was most likely manufactured between 1950 and 1953 — a narrow production window that makes it a precise witness to the emerging Cold War geopolitics. An object rich in history: this globe captures a very brief moment in world cartography, between the founding of the GDR and de-Stalinisation, with place names that have since disappeared. It measures 46cm in height, 33cm in diameter, and 35cm in depth. By adopting this vintage object, you are giving a second life to a treasure from the past; thank you for making sustainable decoration rhyme with history and a gesture for the planet.