The Maps and Plans Collection of the Zionist Archives preserves about 130,000 maps and plans that originate from various sources. The collection covers a chronological range of more than a hundred years, from the end of the 19th century to the 21th century. Most of the material in the collection is comprised of planning maps of settlements established in the country over the years by the various departments of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish National Fund.
In addition, the CZA houses several special collections. For instance, a collection of maps of the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA), that document the land activity of the company, a collection of parcelation (registration blocs) maps, that the British Mandate Government issued with the ending of the parcelation enterprise of Palestine, as well as a collection of various mandatory maps on the topics of topography and urban planning.
The private archives of renowned architects that planned private and public constructions are among our special collections; these are the structures that we try to preserve assiduously. Among them are: Richard Kaufman, Leopold Krakauer, Michael and Paula Shaviv, Joseph Kelerwin, Joseph Tishler, Otto Shiller, Adam Effentzeler and others.
All the maps and plans, including those that were not executed, reveal an important aspect of the settlement in the Land of Israel and in the State of Israel.
The map collection caters to varied needs: researchers and students who publish papers regarding the history of the Land of Israel, architects employed in the preservation and preparation of documentation files, lawyers dealing in real estate transactions as well as settlers trying to trace the boundaries of their estate. Over time, with the acceleration of the registration and survey work, the maps and plans collection of the Zionist Archives has become more accessible and open for study by the general public.
Language of registration: All the map descriptions are in Hebrew.