Matthaus Merian began publishing the 'Theatrum Europaeum' in 1633, it was not finished until 1738 by which time 21 volumes had been issued including some 20,000 pages of text, 720 maps, plans, views and other engravings and nearly 700 portraits. This superb birds-eye view of a battle in Alsace relates to the Thirty Years War between Spain and France. In this battle on 2 March 1634 the Swedish were defeated. The town lower left on the river is Sennen or Cernay in Alsace, France.