Ranke

RANKE, ran'ke, Leopold von, German his torian: b. Wiehe, Thuringia, 21 Dec. 1795; d. Berlin, 23 May 1886. His preliminary educa tion at Donndorf and Sculpforta was followed by courses in theology and philology in Leipzig. From 1818 to 1825 he taught classics in the gymnasium at Frankfort, and then became pro fessor of history at Berlin, largely because of the promise of his (History of the Roman and Germanic Peoples from 1494 to 1535,' of which the first volume appeared in 1824. His coming to Berlin was the beginning of his study of Venetian history, which was chiefly due to his discovery of the valuable (1831), and the lectures the History of Italian Poetry> (1837). To the lectures delivered in 1833 may be dated the rise of the historical school known by his name, which, like the Heidelberg School, was Prot estant in sympathy and impulses, but unpartisan in methods; its members include Waltz, best known for his studies of constitutional history, Giesebrecht, who wrote on the German Empire, von Sybel, author of the 'History of the French Revolution,' von Sybel's pupils, von Noorden and Maurenbrecher, and. Diinamler, one of the editors of the Ger mania,> and Dove, Ranke's literary executor and one of the editors of volumes 7-9 of the From 1833 also dates the foundation of the edited by Savigny, Ranke and others, and protesting against the extreme liberalism of the revolution of July; as well as the beginning of Ranke's great history of Roman Popes in the Last Four Centuries> (1834-37; 10th ed. 1900), with its clear outline

of the varied political and religious influences at work in Rome and its wonderful grasp of the meaning in a philosophic scheme of (V1 orld History' of the Papacy. It was followed and balanced by History in the Time of the Reformation> (1839-47; 7th ed., 1894), and (1847-48; revised 1878-79), thus ful filling in part his function as Prussian histori ographer, a post to which he had been appointed in 1841. He was ennobled by the King of Prus sia in 1865, and since 1858 had been president of the Munich Historical Commission. His academic activity ceased in 1871, but his work of research, authorship and revision continued almost to the very day of his. death. A monu ment was erected to him in Wiehe in 1896.

He wrote 'French History; ESpecially in the 16th and 17th Centuries' (1852-61) • 'English History. in the 16th and 17th (1859 67;. revised and enlarged 187749), and various studies .in German history, among which the sympathetic of Wallensteln> (1869; 5th ed., 1895) should be mentioned. But of the greatest importance as embodying Ranke's & losophical idea of universal history is the <• tory of the World' (1880-88; 5th ed., 1896 seq.), which is marked by thorough xesearch, excellent critical judgment and sharp, clear and felicitous characterization, with a poetical vigor of style.

Ranke's complete works were edited by Dove; volumes 53 and 54 contain valuable auto biographical matter. Consult also Dove's biography in the deutsche Biog raphic ; sketches by Sybel in Zeit schrift,' Vol. 56; Prutz, in Zeit' (1886), and his son F. v. Ranke, in Revue' (1903) • Lorenz, (Ranke, die Genera tionlehre and der Geschichtsunterricht> (1891); Guglia, 'Leopold von Ranke' (1893) ; Ritter, (Ranke: Seine GeistesentwicIdung and seine (18%) • Nalbandian,