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Leopold von Ranke (21 December 1795 – 23 May 1886) was a German historian. Modern history writing is greatly influenced by him. He made focusing on primary sources and international relations in history writing, popular.

Life

Ranke was born in Wiehe in Electoral Saxony, to a Lutheran family. In 1814 he went to the University of Leipzig. He studied Classics and Lutheran theology. From 1817-1825 he was a Classics teacher. While teaching he became interested in history. In 1824 he released his first book: Geschichte der romanischen und germanischen Völker von 1494 bis 1514 (History of the Latin and Teutonic Peoples from 1494 to 1514). He used more primary sources in his book, than most historians did at the time.^[1] In the preface of the book, Ranke famously said his aim was to just show "how things actually were (wie es eigentlich gewesen)."^[2]

References

↑ Ranke, "Preface to the First Edition of Histories of the Latin and German Nations" in "The Modern Historiography Reader, Western Sources", pp172
↑ Ranke, "Preface: Histories of the Latin and Germanic Nations from 1494-1514", in Stern, The Varieties of History, p.57.

[1] Ranke, "Preface to the First Edition of Histories of the Latin and German Nations" in "The Modern Historiography Reader, Western Sources", pp172

[2] Ranke, "Preface: Histories of the Latin and Germanic Nations from 1494-1514", in Stern, The Varieties of History, p.57.

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