Adolf Stieler (26 February 1775 – 13 March 1836) was a German cartographer and lawyer who worked most of his life in the Justus Perthes Geographical Institute in Gotha.

Although he studied law and would serve in government for his entire career, he maintained an interest in cartography and published many famous works.

[1] Stieler's cartographic career began with a position as a geography teacher at a girls' school in Gotha.

Such illustrations were completed in von Zach's "Allgemeinen Geographischen Ephemeriden" or "General Geographical Ephemeris," published in 1798.

[1] In addition to his contributions to cartography and law, Stieler also proposed mathematical methods in the insurance industry.

Stieler's "System der fortwährenden Modernisierung" for maps was incorporated into Bär's Handatlas, completed with fellow cartographer Johann Friedrich von Stülpnagel.