Theodor von Sickel

Who was Theodor von Sickel?

Theodor von Sickel was a German-Austrian historian born in Aken, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia. He specialized in early European medieval history, and is considered to be the founder of modern diplomatics.

In 1850 he obtained his doctorate from the University of Halle, then furthered his studies at the École Nationale des Chartes in Paris. In 1857 he was appointed professor at the University of Vienna, and from 1869 to 1891, he was director of the Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung, specializing in ancillary branches of historical study, that included paleography, chronology and diplomatics. In the latter field, Sickel is acclaimed for his meticulous and expert edition of medieval documents, including over 1300 royal documents of the 10th century

In 1875 he became a member of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, and from 1897 to 1908, he was president of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. In 1881 he established the Österreichisches Historisches Institut in Rome, serving as its director until 1901.