Kuhlmann, Y. Spinne und Spinola. Das Bild Spaniens in der protestantischen Flugblattpublizistik während des Dreißigjährigen Krieges, in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture, 2018. Vol. 4 (2). P. 158–178.
Yannika KuhlmannDepartment of History, Heidelberg University (69117, Germany, Heidelberg, Grabengasse 3–5; aud. 229)
yannika.kuhlmann@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de
Language: Deutsch
The Thirty Years War can be understood as the scene of a transnational field of conflict inwhich various parties and actors were involved. The Spanish line of the Habsburgs was one of these actors and it carried out various conflicts because of its overarching interest in power. Furthermore, the Thirty Years War is also referred to in research as the War of the Feathers, in which the warring parties dealt with political, denominational and social issues on a medial level. This article deals with the negative depiction of the Spanish monarchy during the early period of the Thirty Years War. It examines the continuity of pre-existing anti-Spanish stereotypes within the medium of the leaflet. First an introduction to the broader historical context, the role of the Spanish monarchy in the Thirty Years War, the medium of the leaflet with its characteristics as well as an explication of and some pre-existing anti-Spanish stereotypes is given. Against this backdrop two leaflets from 1621 are analyzed. The approach is limited to leaflets of German-speaking context and protestant authorship. On the first leaflet a key figure of the Thirty Years War, the military leader in services of the Spanish monarchy Ambrosius Spinola, is presented. The second leaflet shows a constellation of animal allegories. Finally, the adoption of already existing stereotypes, in a manner specific for leaflets, can be observed. This article wants to present how the political opponent was assimilated with stereotypical allocation and was presented to the readers as an enemy and responsible for the suffering during the war.
Key Words: Thirty Years War, stereotypes, Spanish monarchy, leaflets, Holy Roman Empire