Leopold von Ranke

Leopold von Ranke (1795–1886) was a German professor of history who made significant contributions to the professionalization of the historical discipline. Historicism, the historical perspective advocated by von Ranke, placed paramount importance on philological source criticism, emphasizing the individuality of events and epochs. The past was to be comprehended on its own terms, and the primary objective of historical research was to ascertain what had truly occurred. von Ranke held a professorship in history at the University of Berlin, among other notable academic positions, and produced a substantial body of scholarly works.