Diplomats had multiple tasks: not only negotiating with the representatives of other states, but also mediating culture and knowledge, and not least elaborating reports on their observations of politics, society, and culture. Culture, according to the studies featured in this book, is defined as a complex sphere including aspects like systems of communication, literature, music, arts, education, and the creation of knowledge. This edition containing contributions from six conferences held in Vienna and Istanbul by the Don Juan Archiv Wien focuses on the complex diplomatic and cultural relations between the Ottoman Empire and Europe from the time of the early embassies to Istanbul up to "Tanzimat".
This publication includes the contributions of three symposia organized by Don Juan Archiv Wien in Istanbul and Vienna from 2013 to
2015: "Culture of Politics or Cultural Politics: Ambassadors as Cultural Actors in Ottoman-European Relations" (Istanbul 2013), "Culture ofPolitics or Cultural Politics - Act Two: Representation, Theatricality and Cultural Transfer in Ottoman-European Diplomatic Relations" (Vienna 2014) and "Culture, Diplomacy and Peacemaking: Ottoman-European Relations in the Wake of the Treaty of Belgrade (1739) and the Era of Maria Theresia" (Istanbul 2015). The series "Diplomatica" will also include 'Interludia' - historical texts of diplomatic reflections from the 15th to the 20th centuries - as intermezzi to the seven parts of this publication, which will be edited in two volumes.
