蘭克在近代史學中扮演重要角色，強調客觀及科學的歷史研究，以檔案及一手資料爲依據，撰寫歷史。對蘭克而言，歷史的功能只在於「表述真實」。但蘭克未必如此客觀，在許多撰述中，蘭克運用各種資料建構德意志國家觀，並以普魯士爲中心。作者希望檢視十八世紀末以降的德意志史學概念，觀察其演變，並討論蘭克在這種演變過程中所扮演的角色。

Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886) is often considered the founder of "modern" or "scientific" history. He employed a new way of historical studying and writing by using primary sources. Though he urged a commitment to writing history "as it actually was" (wie es eigentlich gewesen ist), he was nevertheless under strong influences of his time and political notion. With Ranke's idea of Prussia-centrism the German ideas of history changed enormously. With the establishment of the German Reich the school of Prussia-centered historiography was introduced. The German ideas of history saw a structural change. Since the second half of 19th Century the idea of universalism in the Age of Enlightenment was replaced by the idea of self-centered nation-state and the writing of universal history by the study of single countries. The author wishes to look into this development and the role Ranke played in this development.