In 1842 he received his doctorate from the
University of Kiel with a dissertation involving the Greek historian
Polybius. Following graduation, he took an extended study trip to Italy (1842–43). In 1848 he became an associate professor at Kiel, where in 1858 he was named a full professor of history. Later, he was a professor of history at the Universities of
Königsberg (from 1862) and
Berlin (from 1872).[1]
Principal works
Polybius. Zur geschichte antiker politik und historiographie, 1842 – "Polybius. On the history of ancient politics and
historiography.
Die Gracchen und ihre nächsten Vorgänger vier Bücher römischer Geschichte, 1847 – The
Gracchi and their closest predecessors, Four books on Roman history.
Vorarbeiten zur Geschichte der Staufischen Periode, 1859 – Preliminary work on the history of the
Hohenstaufen period.
Ministerialität und bürgerthum im 11. und 12. jahrhundert, 1859 – Ministeriality and bourgeoisie in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Die römische Annalistik von ihren ersten Anfängen bis auf Valerius Antias, 1873 – The
Roman Annalists; from their beginnings up until
Valerius Antias.
Deutsche Studien. Gesammelte Aufsätze und Vortäge zur deutschen Geschichte, 1879 – German studies, collected essays and lectures on German history.
Geschichte des deutschen Volkes bis zum Augsburger Religionsfrieden, 1883 – History of the German people up until the
Peace of Augsburg.
Geschichte der römischen republik, 1884 – History of the
Roman Republic.
Books about Karl Wilhelm Nitzsch:
Karl Wilhelm Nitzsch : die methodischen Grundlagen seiner Geschichtschreibung : ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Geschichtswissenschaft, 1912 (by Herbert Merzdorf) – Karl Wilhelm Nitzsch: the methodological foundations of his historical writing: a contribution to the history of historical science.[2]