Map of the Bubonic Plague Spreading in Europe, 1347-1351

What it is

This is a modern map, originally created by Roger Zenner and later edited for readability, showing the spread of the bubonic plague across Europe between 1347 and 1351. It uses color shading from brown (1347) to pale yellow (after 1351) to show the pandemic's progress, with cities such as London, Paris, Rome, and Warsaw marked. The map notes that its borders show present-day boundaries, not those of the 1340s.

Why it matters

The map also marks purple dots for centers of uprisings, pointing to the social unrest that followed the plague's devastation. Visual tools like this help students see both the geographic spread of the disease and some of its social consequences across medieval Europe.

Look closer

• Why does the map warn that it uses modern borders rather than those of the 1340s?
• What might the purple dots for uprisings suggest about the plague's social effects?
• How does color shading help show the passage of time across a single map?