Zwischen Panegyrik und Tatsachenbericht. Zu Struktur und Zielsetzung von Medienereignissen zur Zeit Maria Theresias

Summary Between Panegyric and Factual Report. Structure and Purpose of „Media Events“ at the Time of Maria Theresa This paper examines three decisive historical events that took place during the reign of Maria Theresa of Austria. It considers them as „media events“ comprising the birth of Joseph, the heir to the throne (1741), the Battle of Kolin (1757) and Maria Theresa’s recovery from smallpox (1767). In general, media events during the early modern period point to the construction of messages not merely confined to imparting information. The intrinsic aim of this paper is to analyse the political and historical dimension and both the structure and dynamics of the three media events in terms of their visual and textual genres. Furthermore, the paper refers to performative practices and examines the public information strategies of the players involved. The birth of Archduke Joseph, the first son of Maria Theresa, is remarkable given the public’s wide involvement in the celebrations. In particular, the i...