Historian John Röhl dies aged 85

Historian John Röhl has died aged 85.

Röhl, a longtime author with Cambridge University Press (CUP), was best known for his work on Imperial Germany and Europe.

CUP said he will be “especially remembered for his original archival research into the life of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German emperor – research that spanned approximately 50 years”.

The publisher said: “He published a three-volume biography of Kaiser Wilhelm II, in both German and English, which garnered immense praise. The biography challenged the consensus that the Kaiser was not anti-Semitic and suggested that he set the tone in Germany that made the Holocaust possible.”

Michael Watson, CUP head of trade publishing, added: “I was very saddened to learn of the passing of John Röhl, who collaborated with the press over more than 30 years on meticulously prepared English-language editions of his work including his celebrated three-volume life of Kaiser Wilhelm II. His books were both deeply researched and beautifully written and saw him win numerous awards including the Wolfson Prize and the Einhard Prize for European Biography.

“He transformed our understanding of the causes of the First World War and his scholarship will be continue to be an essential point of reference for scholars for decades to come.”