CountLudwig August Mellin (23 January 1754 inTuhala,Governorate of Reval – 12 March 1835 in Riga,Governorate of Livonia) was aBaltic German politician,cartographer, writer andpublicist. He is best known for creating the first professionalatlas visualizingLivonia (area now divided between Estonia and Latvia), theAtlas von Liefland, oder von den beyden Gouvernementern u. Herzogthümern Lief- und Ehstland, und der Provinz Oesel in 1798.
Mellin was born inTuhala (present day Estonia) in the manor of his father. He was educated at home by home tutor Berend Johann Campmann and could speak Latin at the age of 12 and studied mathematics. A French prisoner of war Claude Xavier Montagnon taught him French. Empress Catherine II assigned Mellin to join Holstein princes Wilhelm Augusti and Peter Friedrich Ludwig to Europe on an educational tour in 1767. He visited Riga in 1782. Mellin, a soldier in theImperial Russian Army, became a cartographer at the request ofPaul I of Russia, who wanted to see a map ofLivonia. He was appointed district head and judge of Riga district in 1783. He worked as county councilor of Livonia from 1797 to 1818 and was involved in agrarian reforms. Since a professional map did not exist, Mellin was put in charge of creating it. In 1798, theAtlas von Liefland, oder von den beyden Gouvernementern u. Herzogthümern Lief- und Ehstland, und der Provinz Oesel, was published by Mellin. It took 28 years to complete it. Mellin used maps from private collections, the military, and theRussian Academy of Sciences. The map shows natural features such as islands, geology and shorelines of the region. The maps were so popular they were sold overseas. At one point, Mellin was accused of espionage because of where the maps were being sold. He was arrested. Paul I had the maps pulled off the market.[1][2]
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