Carl Ploetz

Born in Berlin on July 8, 1819, Carl Julius Ploetz was a German teacher and author whose work focused on making history easier to study and compare. He is closely associated with compact scholarly and school reference books, and later English editions introduced many readers to his approach through Epitome of History.

Ploetz is often remembered for presenting historical information in a highly structured way, organizing events by chronology and geography so they could be quickly consulted. That practical method gave his books lasting value as study aids and reference tools rather than narrative histories.

He died in Görlitz on February 6, 1881. Reliable sources found here confirm his importance as a historical reference writer, but I did not find a clearly usable portrait photograph or painted likeness to return with confidence.