Leopold von Ranke historian biography method of study historicism quotes

Leopold con Ranks died on May 23, 1886 at the age of 91.

From the article:
"As a historian, Ranke attempted to put aside prevailing theories and prejudices and by the scrupulous use of primary sources to present an unvarnished picture of the facts. Nevertheless, because he viewed political power as the principal agent in history he tended to emphasize political history, dwelling upon the deeds of kings and leaders and ignoring economic and social forces.
A famous educator, he introduced the seminar as a method of teaching history and trained a generation of influential scholars. Since Ranke's time the seminar method of teaching history has become very widely adopted.
At the time of his death Ranke was regarded as the foremost historian in the world. Ranke's method of historicism has largely pioneered the modern insistence on rigorously analyzing firsthand documentation. He has variously been described as "The greatest German historian", "The father of the objective writing of history", and "The founder of the science of history."