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Geofabrik

Who we are

Geofabrik was created out of the conviction that free geodata created by projects like OpenStreetMap will become increasingly attractive for commercial uses.

Free, community-maintained data like that produced by the OpenStreetMap project is a real alternative to the offerings of the trade's top players. Such data is not only free of charge, but also comes with fewer license restrictions than other offers.

• More about OpenStreetMap
• About free data and free software

 

Geofabrik GmbH was incorporated in late 2007, but the people behind it have been at it for much longer. Frederik Ramm is an active OpenStreetMap contributor since 2006. He has worked on distributed map rendering and played an important part in specifying and introducing an improved data model in the autumn of 2007. He was the lead developer of the JOSM editor for some time, and currently maintains several mailing lists and tools for undo and revert in case of errors or vandalism.

Jochen Topf has also been involved in OpenStreetMap since 2006, and has worked on quality assurance, various aspects of map rendering and the interfaces between OSM and the rest of the GIS and neogeography world.

Both have been working as software engineers and consultants in the Internet industry for many years. Frederik Ramm and Jochen Topf regularly give talks and workshops about OpenStreetmap or neogeography in general. In February 2008, their German OpenStreetMap book was published by Lehmanns. An English version is planned.