European, Duisburger, visionary.
Gerhard Mercator was one of the most important scholars of the 16th century.
Gerhard Mercator achieved world fame with his world map Ad usum navigantium published in 1569, which was intended for use in shipping. This ingeniously conceived wall map, which was produced according to a new grid design, now known as Mercator projection, and which has since been used for nautical and land maps and in aeronautics and space travel, guaranteed the accuracy necessary to actually reach a destination.
