Ranke's influential works

Leopold von Ranke was a pioneering historian known for emphasizing rigorous use of primary sources—original documents from the past—to understand history accurately. His influential works focused on applying careful research methods to study events without bias, promoting the idea that history should strive for objectivity and factual truth. Ranke's approach shifted history from storytelling to an empirical, evidence-based discipline, laying the foundation for modern historiography. His emphasis on understanding history in its own context has shaped how historians analyze and interpret past events to achieve a more authentic understanding of history.