Abstract:

As a key figure in the history of modern German historiographical theories, J. G. Droysen inherited and developed theories of historical representation since the Age of Enlightenment, and in his later years even made “Topik” a separate part by modifying the structure of Historik and Grundriss der Historik . With the rise of contemporary narrativist theories of historiography, Droysen’s “Topik” and its related theory of representation have attracted more and more attention from the academic circles. Despite some criticisms in later times, Droysen’s theory of historical representation expands the scope of historical representation and highlights the relevance of historical research to reality, which constitutes Droysen’s unique contribution to the modern transformation of German theories of historical representation in the 18^th and19^th centuries.

Key words: J. G. Droysen, Historik, theories of historical representation