The subject of this study is the so-called allegorical imperial eagle, a large single-sheet woodcut. The humanist Conrad Celtis (1459-1508) designed the iconographic program, while the Augsburg artist Hans Burgkmair (1473-1531) provided the compelling representation. In October 1501, at the request and urging of Celtis, Emperor Maximilian established a college for poets and mathematicians at the University of Vienna. Celtis, the head of this innovative institution, likely circulated the allegorical imperial eagle as a gift to promote his college. For today's viewer, this single-sheet woodcut presents a "riddle image," as its intricate allegorical representation does not readily reveal its intentions. Only by referring to suitable contemporary documents can we gain insight into the meaning and significance of the overall image as well as its details. It becomes evident that we are looking at a "thought image" with programmatic aspirations, which presents poetic foundational positions in a visually enigmatic brevity that extends far beyond current events.