Abstract
Images are becoming increasingly important as source material in the humanities. Whereas in the past word and text were considered the most important basis for research and the image was included at most for illustrative purposes, the problem of interpreting the content of images is now increasingly being addressed. However, the systematic study of pictorial sources is made more difficult by the special characteristics of pictures and the way in which they have been handed down: they are usually unique specimens that are found in collections with many branches. Unlike a copy of a text source, a direct copy of the picture is not possible without technical means or special skills. And in contrast to the indexing of text sources, which has been developed for years, there are no uniform rules for the treatment of images in archives. The search for suitable image material proves to be difficult. In the present article, therefore, both sides will have their say. On the one hand, it describes how images can be indexed in a database with just a few words. On the other hand, pictures from this database are used as source material for a pedagogically oriented interpretation.
