author
Rudolf (Ernst Rudolf Anastasius) Köpke
1813–1870
A 19th-century German historian with a gift for bringing the medieval world into focus, he studied under the influence of Leopold von Ranke and became known for careful, source-based scholarship. His work on figures such as Otto the Great helped shape modern interest in early German history.
1 Audiobook
Ludwig Tieck Erinnerungen aus dem Leben des Dichters nach dessen mündlichen und schriftlichen Mitteilungen
by Rudolf (Ernst Rudolf Anastasius) Köpke
About the author
Born in Königsberg on August 23, 1813, and raised largely in Berlin, Rudolf Köpke first studied theology before turning to history. He belonged to the early circle of historians shaped by Leopold von Ranke, a group known for close attention to original sources and a more rigorous style of historical writing.
Köpke taught at the Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium in Berlin and later became a university lecturer and, in 1856, an associate professor at the University of Berlin. He also worked with the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, the great scholarly project devoted to editing medieval sources.
He is especially remembered for studies of medieval Germany, including work on Liutprand of Cremona and on Emperor Otto the Great. He died near Berlin on June 10, 1870, leaving behind a reputation as a serious and influential historian of the Middle Ages.