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In this article we intend to analyze the role of text and picture in Habsburg Diplomacy at the Sublime Porte (16th – 18th centuries). Texts and pictures – objects of written and pictorial communication – were connected in various ways. The aim is to get an insight into these connections, especially with regard to the Early Modern Habsburg diplomatic mission in Constantinople, which, so far, has not been studied from this specific perspective. The article is divided as follows: firstly, the most important characteristics of the diplomatic contacts between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans are shortly outlined; hence this part of the essay provides the political context. Secondly, the first part is followed by an overview of the visual and pictorial media which were used in diplomatic communication. In the third part a case study will be presented in which the interactions between texts and pictures will be analyzed in more detail. We will conclude that in accordance with the pluralistic media landscape which characterized the Habsburg-Ottoman diplomacy, numerous combinations of text and picture can be found. Of course, one can recall texts without illustration, e.g. the political correspondence, but only rarely pictures were used on their own, without a title, caption or explanatory text. Three types of text-picture interactions can be differentiated: firstly, the connection could be rather simple e.g. when short captions of a portrait served to identify the depicted person; secondly, the connection could be more complex when text and images were spatially and/or graphically separated; finally, it was also possible that the content of the text clearly exceeded the information conveyed by the picture. In this case, the picture illustrates a sub-theme of the text.

RESUMEN: El artículo resume las últimas investigaciones de la historiografía en lengua alemana sobre la época de Carlos V, centrándose en las monografías, las ediciones de documentos y las obras colectivas publicadas entre 1985 y 1995. Los sucesivos capítulos se dedican a seis temas clave. 1. Obras generales e introducciones generales a la época. 2. Estudios biográficos de Carlos V y de diversas personas de su entorno. 3. Instituciones imperiales y relaciones exteriores, junto con los problemas que plantea las edición de documentos históricos. 4. Reforma y confesionalización. 5. Investigaciones sobre las ciudades y territorios imperiales. 6. Estados imperiales. A todo ello se añaden, para cada capítulo, las discusiones mantenidas sobre teoría y metodología.ABSTRACT: The article summarizes the latest investigations of the german-speaking historiography about the age of Charles V, concentrating itself on monographies, editions of documents, and collections of articles between 1985 and 1995. There are chapters about six general subjects. 1. General studies and introductions to the period. 2. Biographies of Charles V and some of the people around him. 3. Imperial institutions and foreign relations as well as some words about the problems of the edition of historical documents. 4. Reformation and confessionalization. 5. Investigations about imperial cities and territories. 6. Imperial Estates. Every one of the chapters also explains the discussions about theory and methodology.

RESUMEN: El artículo resume las últimas investigaciones de la historiografía en lengua alemana sobre la época de Carlos V, centrándose en las monografías, las ediciones de documentos y las obras colectivas publicadas entre 1985 y 1995. Los sucesivos capítulos se dedican a seis temas clave. 1. Obras generales e introducciones generales a la época. 2. Estudios biográficos de Carlos V y de diversas personas de su entorno. 3. Instituciones imperiales y relaciones exteriores, junto con los problemas que plantea las edición de documentos históricos. 4. Reforma y confesionalización. 5. Investigaciones sobre las ciudades y territorios imperiales. 6. Estados imperiales. A todo ello se añaden, para cada capítulo, las discusiones mantenidas sobre teoría y metodología.ABSTRACT: The article summarizes the latest investigations of the german-speaking historiography about the age of Charles V, concentrating itself on monographies, editions of documents, and collections of articles between 1985 and 1995. There are chapters about six general subjects. 1. General studies and introductions to the period. 2. Biographies of Charles V and some of the people around him. 3. Imperial institutions and foreign relations as well as some words about the problems of the edition of historical documents. 4. Reformation and confessionalization. 5. Investigations about imperial cities and territories. 6. Imperial Estates. Every one of the chapters also explains the discussions about theory and methodology.