The history of everyday life and mentalities has gained in importance in early modern research. In connection with the iconic turn, interest in illustrated pamphlets as the most important form of pictorial journalism in an increasingly dense network of communication has also increased. The diversity of the medium's content is striking, with economic misbehaviour such as greed, avarice, ostentatiousness and usury becoming central themes alongside legends of saints, miraculous births and much more. But what influence did the ethical pamphlet have on the perception of economic processes and on economic behaviour? Did it seek to civilise producers, traders and consumers by deliberately pedagogising the content, or did it even relieve its audience of the compulsion to self-regulate by deliberately ridiculing the moral mark? Did it address real concerns and fears, or did it thrive on pure sensationalism? And what creative and stylistic means did the authors use to ensure that the message was understood and memorised? These questions will be explored by analysing German leaflets. In this context, we will also address questions about their production, distribution and target audience. We will begin by focussing on social, legal and economic factors that determine the thematic orientation of the leaflets. The joint development of suitable analysis criteria is also central to the seminar.