Introduction

The Fall or Capture of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1444–6, 1451–81) dramatically altered how the city and its inhabitants were perceived by the rest of Christendom, including German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire. Specifically, the Fall impacted images and descriptions of Turks in early printed sources, even as advances in printing technology, particularly the advent of movable type, enabled the rapid dissemination of new ideas. These early printed works relied heavily on earlier material dealing with the Islamic world. Sources range from illuminated images created during and after the medieval Crusades against Saracens, Moors and other Islamic groups to earlier classical and theological texts rediscovered by humanist scholars during this period. Other influences originated from the Italian states, especially Venice, which re-established new relationships with the Ottoman Empire through trade and diplomacy as well as military confrontation. This wide array of sources influenced early printed German images and texts about the Ottoman Empire within the expanding political, military and cultural knowledge of the world.