The CENTENNIA Historical Atlas

A dynamic, animated guide to a thousand years of history...

What is Centennia?

The Centennia Historical Atlas is a map-based guide to the history of Europe and the Middle East from the beginning of the 11th century through the early 21st century. It is a dynamic, animated historical atlas including over 9,000 border changes. The map controls evolve the map forward or backward in time bringing the static map to life. Our maps display every major war and territorial conflict displaying the status of each region at intervals of a tenth of a year. The maps reflect actual "power on the ground" rather than internationally-sanctioned or "recognized" borders.

Centennia is primarily targeted at students and scholars in secondary school (high school) and at the undergraduate college level who are looking for a broad overview of European and Mediterranean/Mideast History. It's ideal for homeschool students. Researchers in history and political science also benefit from Centennia's broad and detailed coverage of events. Unlike many other historical atlases, ours provides a perspective that is relatively uniform across time and cultures. While there is no possible purely objective viewpoint in world history, even in theory, we apply the same standards of sovereignty and border definition in the Balkans in the 15th century that we use in modern North Africa in the 20th century or medieval France in the 12th century.

For serious research, complete access to our database in GIS format is now available through the Centennia Research Edition (CRE).

Centennia covers the history of Europe and the Middle East across ten centuries. Empires and nations rise and fall... Collections of small principalities and duchies in central Europe evolve to become the nations we know today. The FREE version of the Centennia Historical Atlas -- Centennia Nations Edition specifically covers the rise of modern nation-states including, including the unificaton of Italy and Germany, and the eventual catastrophic wars that the nation-state system contributed to in the 20th century.

Centennnia is available in German and Greek translations. The German edition, Centennia Geschichstatlas, is approximately 97% translated, while the Greek edition is approximately 98% translated. We are looking for volunteers to help complete the translations. You'll be listed in the credits of every copy if you make a significant contribution.

The Centennia Atlas originated as a small project known as Millennium, marketed by Clockwork Software in Chicago, Illinois. Centennia, the former Millennium, was created and developed by Frank Reed. Clockwork Mapping is the legal successor to Clockwork Software.

All copyright and other rights are owned by Clockwork Mapping, solely-owned by Frank Reed. Please note that any videos or other media created with our atlas without explicit permission violate our copyright.

Comments:

Falk Kuebler wrote: 2/25/2024
What a stunning piece of both pleasure AND education for all of us, i.e. for Daddy and for my kids 11 and 13. Unfortunately most people don't yet know this marvellous piece of edutainment. I hope this will change quickly.
Sarah B wrote: 1/16/2024
I have been using this program since 1999! I'd LOVE to see an iPad version as I teach 1:1 and have access to airplay. Thanks for keeping this program alive and available after all these years!
Cynthia T wrote: 10/8/2023
How do I download the free version of Centennia Nations Edition? I do not see a link on the website. Thank you!
Frank Reed wrote: 10/8/2023
Sorry for the confusion, Cynthia! Any of the download links here will get you the free version, Centennia Nations Edition. Then later if you buy and enter an access code that will convert into the complete edition of the Centennia Historical Atlas. So there's just the one download ...

HistoricalAtlas.com/download/.
Alex Karalekis wrote: 9/20/2023
I have been using this teaching my Modern European History class with great success. It always draws a little crowd when the map is left in free animation on a big screen!

A. Karalekis
San Diego, California
Ellen M. wrote: 6/8/2023
At last! I'm looking forward to using CENTENNIA Research Edition when my department completes the purchase ..... assuming we can fund it. Can you tell me: are the KML files compatible with Google Earth? Would I be able to show the historical borders of Europe, e.g., in 1499 displayed with the perspective and view features in Google Earth?
Frank Reed wrote: 6/8/2023
Hello Ellen. I have added some sample views showing Centennia KML files viewed in Google Earth.
Jing Chu wrote: 4/14/2023
Hello, Clockwork Mapping. I use the MacOS version of your Cantennia Atlas, and I wonder if you plan to port it to iPad. I think it would be really *slick* on a tablet! Also, do you intend to expand it into the tenth century? My specialty is medieval France, and I would like to see more detail there. Just a wishlist! Thank you for this amazing atlas.
Frank Reed wrote: 4/14/2023
Yes, indeed. We are working on an iPad version. It's mostly a matter of funding. The new "Research Edition" of Centennia will, we hope, provide enough revenue to get the iOS version launched. As for the other item on your wishlist --more in medieval Europe-- it's certainly a possibility in the next year if we can get enough interest. Thanks for letting us know what interests you!

Frank Reed
Owner/Head Cartographer
Clockwork Mapping
Conanicut Island USA
Phil Perry wrote: 3/21/2023
Your historical atlas shows details that I have never encountered anywhere else. I first discovered your maps through a viral video on youtube, and I was appalled to learn later that the video was published without attribution and violating your copyright. I hope you at least got some visitors to your site out of that. It's an astounding accomplishment and obviously a huge amount of research and artistry went into its creation.

Can you email me and let me know if you have any deals for students? I would love to be able to assign this to my students in my European History survey class this summer. Thanks, Phillip Perry, Ottawa.
Frank Reed wrote: 3/22/2023
Hi, Phil. Absolutely -- we do have discount pricing arrangements for students in classes, assuming you would be ordering ten licenses or more. We also have licenses for history departments and small computer labs/libraries. I'll email you.

Frank Reed
Owner/Head Cartographer
Clockwork Mapping
Conanicut Island USA
Janet H. wrote: 11/2/2022
I can't tell you how much I LOVE this atlas. I've been using it for five years in my genealogy research, and there's nothing that compares. If I need to know what was happening in Baden in 1660 or Brittany or Danzig/Gdansk in 1925 or Milan in 1805 or anywhere else at any date... then I can turn to the "Centennia Historical Atlas" for insight. I only wish it covered more centuries, and I'm really looking forward to the version covering the history of North America. Thank you!

J.A.H.
Taj Luckens wrote: 1/9/2023
Hello, I am a student, I am wondering if you have any version for personal use, as I study history in my free time every day, and geacron isn't doing it for me.
Steve Leonard wrote: 5/18/2022
I’m looking for information. I teach European history and this looks good
Kenneth Rip wrote: 7/3/2022
love Centennia...any chance of adding data for the first millennium?
Shirley Bernadotti wrote: 7/16/2020
More info on the research edition for the MAC. Must have.
Samuel Hoskins wrote: 1/10/2021
If I want to use a paper check to pay for Centennia, can I use a discount code with it?
George H. wrote: 7/22/2021
Wow! I found this through a Youtube video (with attribution!) after searching for something similar (a detailed map of the Holy Roman Empire) and this does not disappoint! While I'm a little shocked at the price tag, even the free version is leaps and bounds ahead of your nearest competitor (Harvard University, who doesn't let non-students access the map for any price AND whos map isnt even as detailed!) I know I will eventually buy the full version as I love this so much already!
Ari in NYC wrote: 7/30/2021
Frank,

Another voice of acclaim for your work. I licensed the application with great delight soon after 2005.

Please add my vote to the requests for an iPad version.

With appreciation and thanks,

Ari M
John Perry wrote: 9/11/2021
I see little mention of genealogy. Without Centennia (Millennia back in the 1990's) I don't know if I would have ever known to look for my northern Germany ancestors in the Scandinavian (Denmark) section of the genealogy library. My grandmother was born in Lublin. I assumed Poland, not Russia at the time. A very useful genealogy tool, thanks.
Brason wrote: 10/1/2021
This is cool, I did not realize how much Europe change in that time period.
Zoltán Györe wrote: 12/28/2021
I use this atlas for about 10 years with great pleasure. It is practical, precise and very useful so I recommend it also to my students of history, culturology and hungarology. Thank you very much!
Ipek Yosmaoglu wrote: 3/10/2020
I have used Centennia in my classes in the past. I still have the software on my computer but it won't open, it says the developer of the app needs to update it for it to work with current version of MacOS. What do you suggest? Do I need to re-purchase the app?

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News

  • Centennia: Research Edition ($) extensive GIS versions of Centennia's primary historical database, CRE has been developed for academic research. Institutional licensing fees apply.
  • Centennia: Nations Edition 1789-1939 FREE.
  • German and Greek included.
  • Physical copies now on USB flash (cd-rom available if you must!).
  • Get it here, by download or on USB, or buy on : Amazon.
  • Review by Kevin Kelly, founder/editor of WIRED magazine.
  • Frank Reed, Creator of the Centennia Atlas, guest expert on Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk.
  • Like us on Facebook: FB-logo / HistoricalAtlas.