In memoriam: Prof Dr Ferjan Ormeling

Prof Dr Ferdinand Jan ‘Ferjan’ Ormeling Jr – a pioneer of thematic and atlas cartography, as well as geographical names – sadly passed away on 13 June this year. Menno-Jan Kraak, former president of the  ICA, has written this ‘In Memoriam’ reflecting on Ferjan’s central role in the development of both Dutch and international cartography.

Ferjan Ormeling Jr was born on 20 November 1942 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. At the age of six, he and his family moved to Indonesia, which led to a lasting interest in the country. As a son of the esteemed cartographer Ferjan Ormeling Sr, he grew up in the traditions of cartography and geography, and later followed in his father’s footsteps.

Ferjan’s academic journey began at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, where he studied geography and collaborated on the Bosatlas, which was edited by his father at that time. He gained his PhD from Utrecht University in 1983 under Professor Koeman and Professor Blok. The subject was toponyms in minority languages on topographic maps – a topic he continued to pursue throughout his career. Ormeling was appointed professor of cartography at Utrecht University in 1985 and held that post until his retirement in 2009. His teaching included atlas design, environmental mapping, cartographic theory, historical mapping, editing and map production. Inspiring students about the domain came easy to him. He was also a prominent voice on issues related to visual communication, often criticizing the use – and absence – of maps in governmental policy documents and highlighting their role in informed decision-making.

In the Netherlands, Ferjan Ormeling played a leading role in the Dutch Cartographic Society (NVK). He served on the NVK board from 1975 onwards, becoming vice-chair in 1983 and holding the role of chair form 1995-1997. In 2001, he was appointed an honorary member of the NVK. Additionally, he played a continuous role on the editorial board of the Kartografisch Tijdschrift, serving as editor-in-chief from 1983. After the NVK merged with other associations, he became a member of the editorial board of the newly launched journal Geo-Informatie Nederland (GIN) and managed the associated Ormeling Fund. He was also editor of the historical cartographic journal Caert Thresoor.

Ormeling’s knowledge of geographical names led to him being appointed chair of Nederlandse Taalunie’s Working Group on Foreign Geographical Names, which advises on the Dutch spelling of such names.

Internationally, he played a central role in the International Cartographic Association (ICA), where his leadership helped shape the current situation. As secretary-general and treasurer of the ICA from 1999 to 2007, he worked tirelessly to promote international collaboration on cartographic education, standards and research. Prior to his role on the ICA board, he chaired the Education and Training Committee from 1987 to 1999. During that period, together with Roger Anson, he published the practically oriented textbooks in the ‘Basic Cartography’ series.

Besides his role in the International Cartographic Association, he was also very active in the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), especially in support of place names of minorities and indigenous languages. He was an advocate for the standardization of geographical names, and held multiple training courses in developing countries in connection with this.

Even after retiring, Ormeling remained closely involved in all kinds of organizations, mentoring young cartographers and supporting thematic and educational cartography on several continents. Additionally, he was active in the Explokart research group – first at Utrecht University and later at the University of Amsterdam.

An overview of his publications can be found at: https://explokart.eu/publicaties-teamleden/publicaties-ferjan-ormeling/. This list includes the textbook we wrote together, ‘Cartography: Visualization of Geospatial Data’, which first came out in Dutch in 1985. Since 1996, several editions have been published in English and other languages. Shortly before his death, Ormeling submitted the manuscript of his book ‘Mapping the Netherlands East Indies – A Cartographic Appraisal’ to Brill Academic Publishers, who will publish it posthumously.

His contributions have been widely recognized, as evidenced by numerous awards and honorary doctorates. Accolades include the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal (ICA, 2009) awarded for lifelong excellence in cartography, the Plancius Medal (2017) from the Royal Dutch Geographical Society (KNAG), and the Mercator Medal awarded by the German Cartographic Society (DGfK) in 2022 for his outstanding international impact. He received honorary doctorates from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (2013), and Aristotle University, Thessaloniki (2015).

Ferjan Ormeling’s legacy lives on through his publications and contributions to cartographic institutions. On behalf of the Dutch and worldwide cartographic community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all those who were fortunate enough to be inspired by his work.

Ferjan also meant a lot to me personally – first as my lecturer, then as my supervisor and later as a valued, perceptive and ever-interested colleague and co-author.

Menno-Jan Kraak