"Mein gueter, väterlicher Maister" Wissenstransfer unter kaiserlichen Gesandten an der Hohen Pforte in der ersten Hälfte des 17 Jahrhunderts

Absztrakt

Targeting an old desire of the investigations into early modern Habsburg-Ottoman relations, this paper addresses the question of how and where early modern Habsburg diplomats were trained and prepared for their missions to the Sublime Porte. First of all, the required elements of knowledge and the necessary skills of the envoys are discussed, focusing on main actors of the Habsburg diplomatic corps sent to Constantinople in the first half of the seventeenth century. Furthermore, the study reveals the possible means of knowledge transfer that can be gained from the sporadic archival sources: the transfer of oral and written information at the Aulic War Council (the body responsible for the Habsburg´s eastern diplomacy); the use of information networks; the assistance of experienced colleagues; and the locally organized training supervised by the envoy in Constantinople at the time. The research outcomes are expected to widen our knowledge on the design and execution of Habsburg diplomatic missions in an Ottoman context, while they shed light on the formation of an experienced staff of personnel within the Aulic War Council in Vienna primarily responsible for the shaping of Habsburg-Ottoman relations.