Leopold von Ranke | |
|---|---|
_-_1875.jpg) 1875 portrait of Ranke by Adolf Jebens | |
| Born | Leopold Ranke 21 December 1795 |
| Died | 23 May 1886 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Known for | Historism[2] |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Leipzig |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Berlin |
| Notable students | Heinrich von Sybel Wilhelm Dilthey Friedrich Wilhelm Schirrmacher Philipp Jaffé[1] |
Leopold von Ranke[a] (21 December 1795 – 23 May 1886) was a German historian and a founder of modern source-based history.[3][4] 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was able to implement the seminar teaching method in his classroom and focused on archival research and the analysis of historical documents.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,[5] 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.[6]
- ^ Schirrmacher, Thomas. "Leopold von Ranke regarding my Grandfather Friedrich Wilhelm Schirrmacher". Thomas Schirrmacher. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ Frederick C. Beiser, The German Historicist Tradition, Oxford University Press, 2011. p. 366.
- ^ Fritz Stern (ed.), The Varieties of History, Vintage, 1973, p. 54: "Leopold von Ranke (1795–1886) is the father as well as the master of modern historical scholarship."
- ^ Green and Troup (eds.), The Houses of History, p. 2: "Leopold von Ranke was instrumental in establishing professional standards for historical training at the University of Berlin between 1824 and 1871."
- ^ Iggers, Georg (1 November 2010). The Theory and Practice of History: Edited with an Introduction by Georg G. Iggers. Routledge. pp. 19–. ISBN 978-1-136-88292-0.
- ^ Black, Jeremy; MacRaild, Donald M. (2017). Studying History. Macmillan Education. p. 36.
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