Abstract (eng)
This diploma thesis provides an overview of the evolution of the vampire discourse through encyclopaedias and dictionaries of the 18th century. Through the analysis of lexicon articles, the changeability of the discourse is traced from the border phenomenon on the fringes of the Habsburg monarchy, to the subject of learned disputes and tabloids, to the metaphor for social exploitation. To this end, first the media environment and the upswing of encyclopaedias in the Enlightenment are outlined. In particular, the role of encyclopedias in public opinion formation and their role in the popularization of knowledge stock is discussed. The second part shows why the vampire in the Age of Enlightenment becomes the focus of scientific negotiations and becomes an entertaining media phenomenon. In particular, the epistemological difficulties of the medical profession in the diagnosis of vampirism are worked out. Finally, it is illustrated by means of individual discourse fields how the vampire discourse was transformed in the 18th century and constructed narratively. It is used with the lemma "Vampyren" in Zedler's Universal Lexicon. Above all, the role of discourse in the stereotyping of areas beyond the enlightened world is clarified.