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Wilhelm Wattenbach

1819 – 1897

German paleographer

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About Wilhelm Wattenbach

Lived 1819 – 1897 (aged 77). Wilhelm Wattenbach was a German historian, archivist, university teacher, writer and palaeographer.

Wilhelm Wattenbach (22 September 181920 September 1897), was a German historian.

He was born at Rantzau in Holstein. He studied philology at the universities of Bonn, Göttingen and Berlin, and in 1843 he began to work upon the Monumenta Germaniae Historica. In 1855 he was appointed archivist at Breslau; in 1862 he became a professor of history at Heidelberg, and ten years later a professor at Berlin, where he was a member of the directing body of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica and a member of the academy. He died at Frankfurt.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, Wattenbach was distinguished by his thorough knowledge of the chronicles and other original documents of the Middle Ages, and his most valuable work was done in this field. (Leipzig, 1869, and again 1886) (Leipzig, 1871, and again 1896) (Vienna, 1849) (Berlin, 1876) (Leipzig, 1867, and again 1895).

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Bonn, University of Göttingen, Frederick William University Berlin
Positions held
Privatdozent, Archivist, Professor
Employers
Heidelberg University, Frederick William University Berlin, Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Awards
Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art; Commander's Cross of the Order of the Crown of Prussia

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Wilhelm Wattenbach's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Wilhelm Wattenbach?

German paleographer (1819–1897)

When was Wilhelm Wattenbach born?

Wilhelm Wattenbach was born on 22 September 1819 in Rantzau.

When did Wilhelm Wattenbach die?

Wilhelm Wattenbach died on 20 September 1897 in Frankfurt.

What was Wilhelm Wattenbach's occupation?

Wilhelm Wattenbach was a historian, archivist, university teacher, writer and palaeographer.

What nationality was Wilhelm Wattenbach?

Wilhelm Wattenbach was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Wilhelm Wattenbach

· Wikidata: Q72864

· DBpedia: Wilhelm Wattenbach

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wilhelm Wattenbach. https://biography.guide/wilhelm-wattenbach/

MLA: "Wilhelm Wattenbach." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wilhelm-wattenbach/.

Chicago: "Wilhelm Wattenbach." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wilhelm-wattenbach/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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