Definition
From Wikipedia [2026-03-24] : “A boundary marker, border marker, boundary stone, or border stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in direction of a boundary. There are several other types of named border markers, known as boundary trees, pillars, monuments, obelisks, and corners. Border markers can also be markers through which a border line runs in a straight line to determine that border. They can also be the markers from which a border marker has been fixed.”
Tagging in OpenStreetMap
Usual tags are:
boundary=marker-
collection=yesthe marker is a part of the collection of historical markers -
format:top=*describes the shape of the marker’s top -
format=*describes the shape of the marker -
height=*height of the marker -
historic=boundary_markerOR historic=boundary_stone-
inscription=*inscriptions on different sides of the marker could be separated by a sign “ “ ( vertical line) or “/” (forward slash) marker=border_stone-
material=*stone, concrete, iron, etc. -
moved=yesindicates that the marker is not on its original position name=*-
old_ref=*the (old, changed) number written on the marker -
ref=*the number written on the marker -
year=####(year) (or documented tag start_date=*)
Existing sources
Maps
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Institut cartographique militaire, Carte de Belgique, 1:20 000. [1969]. (https://historical.osm.be/)
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Geo.be. Sous les onglets Cartes > Couches > Unités administratives > AdminVector, on peut afficher une carte de Belgique, qui après zoom adéquat, présente outre les limites, des points représentant des bornes. (https://www.geo.be/)
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[more to follow]
Archives
The archives contain:
- general maps
- maps specific to boundary marking
- boundary agreements
- minutes of boundary surveys
- minutes of boundary marking
Belgium
- Archives générales du Royaume - Algemeen Rijksarchief
Lien direct pour tester :