KEHR, PAUL FRIDOLIN. — Born on 28 Dec. 1860 at Waltershausen near Gotha (Thuringia) into a Protestant family, died on 9 Nov. 1944 at Wässendorf castle near Würzburg. A distinguished historian, he produced the fundamental work for the study of papal documents up to the 13th century.
He began his scholarly career as a collaborator with the MGH, becoming a Privatdozent in 1889 and an extraordinary professor in 1893 at Marburg; in 1895 he was appointed ordinary professor of medieval history at Göttingen.
In 1896 he proposed to the Academy of that city a plan to collect and publish all papal documents prior to Innocent III (the year 1198), both published and unpublished, tracing their originals and copies in all the archives of Europe. As a prerequisite for the full publication of the texts, he set out the demands of scholarly criticism.
Thus arose the *Regesta Pontificum Romanorum*, systematically arranged by regions, dioceses, places, and institutions, the first volume of which appeared in 1906 devoted to Rome. This monumental work, conducted with admirable methodological precision and the collaboration of eminent scholars, was widely supported by the Church and in particular by Pope Pius XI, who honored Kehr with his friendship and provided substantial financial assistance to ensure the smooth continuation of the project. At the time of his death, eight volumes relating to Italy (*Italia Pontificia*) and three to Germany (*Germania Pontificia*) had been published; the ninth and final volume for Italy was ready for the press, and preparation for volumes on France, England, Portugal, and Spain was already advanced. He also produced numerous minor publications: reports of archival explorations, specialized studies in papal and imperial diplomatics, and historical research and illustrations.
He was also director of the Prussian, later German, Historical Institute in Rome (from 1903 to 1936), general director of the Prussian State Archives (from 1913 to 1929), and president of the MGH (from 1919 to 1936).