Institut für Geschichte der Universität Wien: Julia Gebke, Stephan F. Mai, Lars-Dieter Leisner and Christof Muigg

Recent agent centered approach of diplomatic history has proven its innovative force, opening inter alia the stage for long overlooked agents such as the ambassador’s wife, the confessor or the courtier. Still, we have to deepen our understanding of its methodological implications. For this reason, we invite to reflect upon self-testimonies as sources of diplomatic history.
Given the plurality and diversity of early modern diplomatic agents, we assume that diplomatic self-testimonies will also reflect this manifold diversity. Furthermore, self-testimonies can be found in quite different text genres (such as autobiographies, letters or scholarly treatises). Therefore, we presume to find different evidence and perspectives on early modern diplomacy and its socio-cultural structure and practice.
In an attempt to blend approaches of research on self-testimony with the cultural history of diplomacy in an innovative and elaborate manner, we invite papers on a variety of subjects but with a clear methodological and theoretical stance:

• How were diplomatic selves and their social relations narrated and shaped?
• How did diplomatic agents work upon their self in their relational landscape, influenced by their daily life and experience?
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