Leopold von Ranke
German historian and founder of modern source-based history (1795-1886)
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Leopold von Ranke was a German historian who revolutionized how history is studied by insisting that historians carefully examine original documents and sources rather than relying on secondhand accounts. His approach became the foundation of modern historical scholarship and remains influential today, shaping how historians worldwide conduct their research and write about the past.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1795
- Died
- 1886
- Works
- 414
Top works
- Zwölf bücher preussischer geschichte ...
- Venezianischen Geschichte
- Universal history
- Uber die Epochen der neueren Geschichte
- Geschichte des römischen Weltreiches von der Regierung des Kaisers Augustus bis zu Konstantin dem Grossen
via Open Library + Wikidata
Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
Works in European collections
36 objects attributed to Leopold von Ranke, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana
Leopold von Ranke (1795 - 1886) Autographer: Letters from Leopold von Ranke to various addressees - BSB Autogr.Cim. Rank, Leopold von. 4, Leopold von Ranke (1795 - 1886) Autographer: Letter from Leopold von Ranke to Excellence - BSB Autogr.Cim. Rank, Leopold von.4
Leopold von Ranke’s memorable works. 33/34, Stories of the Romanesque and Germanic peoples of 1494 - 1514
Article
Leopold von Ranke (21 December 1795 – 23 May 1886) was a German historian and a founder of modern source-based history. He was able to implement the seminar teaching method in his classroom and focused on archival research and the analysis of historical documents. Building on the methods of the Göttingen school of history, he was the first to establish a historical seminar. Ranke set the standards for much of later historical writing, introducing such ideas as reliance on primary sources (empiricism), an emphasis on narrative history and especially international politics (Außenpolitik). He was ennobled in 1865, with the addition of a "von" to his name.
Ranke also had a great influence on Western historiography and is considered a symbol of the quality of 19th century German historical studies. Ranke, influenced by Barthold Georg Niebuhr, was very talented in constructing narratives without exceeding the limits of historical evidence. His critics have noted the influence of Lutheranism in guiding his work, especially his belief that God's actions were manifest in the lives of men and history, a viewpoint that shaped his ideas that the German Empire was a manifestation of God's intent.
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1795 births1886 deaths19th-century German historians19th-century German male writers19th-century German writers19th-century LutheransAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of BerlinCommanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar StarCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesGerman LutheransGerman male non-fiction writers
