GRAUERT, HERMANN von. — German historian, b. at Pritzwalk (Brandenburg), from a family originally from Westphalia, on 7 Sept. 1850, d. at Munich in Bavaria on 12 March 1924. After completing his historical and legal studies at the universities of Göttingen (where he graduated in 1876), Berlin, and Munich, he served at the Bavarian State Archives from 1877 to 1883, during which time he twice went to Rome to conduct research in the Vatican Archives (1882–83). From 1883 to 1923 he was professor of history at the University of Munich, first as a privatdocent, then from 28 Dec. 1884 as a full professor; in 1915–16 he also served as rector magnificus. He was a member of the Bavarian Academy and in 1914 was granted a personal title of nobility. Three subjects characterize his scholarly activity: the papacy, the empire, and peace (international), of which he saw Dante as a promoter.
Around these three themes most of his studies revolve, published for the most part in the *Historisches Jahrbuch* of the Görres-Gesellschaft (of which he became president in 1920). He directed this important journal from 1885 almost until the end of his life. One of his earliest and finest works was on the famous decree of Nicholas II regarding the election of the Roman pontiff (1059), in *Historisches Jahrbuch*, 1 (1880), pp. 501–602; cf. also ibid., 13 (1892), pp. 172–91; 19 (1893), pp. 827–41; 20 (1899), pp. 236–325. Also significant was his study on the Donation of Constantine (ibid., 3 [1882], pp. 3–30; 4 [1883], pp. 45–95, 525–617, 674–80; 5 [1884], pp. 117–20). Against W. Martens he demonstrated that Hildebrand (Gregory VII) had been a Benedictine monk (ibid., 16 [1895], pp. 283–311; 17 [1896], pp. 952–55). His Dante studies appeared in the aforementioned *Hist. Jahrb.* (16 [1895], pp. 510–44; 18 [1897], pp. 58–87; 20 [1899], pp. 718–62); in *Historisch-politische Blätter* (120 [1897], pp. 81–100, 173–80, 321–56, 512–36, 633–52, 789–822); and in the pamphlet *Dante und Houston Stewart Chamberlain* (Freiburg im Br. 1904). In the Proceedings of the Bavarian Academy (philosophical-historical class, 27 [Munich 1912]), he published *Magister Heinrich der Poet und die römische Kurie* (introduction and text), vindicating the poetic work, previously attributed to Vinsalvo (in-sauf), to the canon Heinrich of Würzburg. He also authored several other writings in which he defended the ideals of Catholic culture.