Hermann Oncken (12 November 1869, Oldenburg, Germany – 28 December 1945, Göttingen, Germany) was a German historian and political writer. He was one of the most notable historians of pre-Nazi Germany.
He lectured at the universities of Chicago (1905), Giessen (1906), Heidelberg (1907-1923), Munich (1923-1928), and Berlin (1928-1935). In 1935 he was forced to retire by the Nazi regime, which he opposed.
He specialized in the 19th century, history of historical thought, history of political thought.
Notable students:
Franz Schnabel (1887-1966), Ph.D. 1910
Gerhard Ritter (1888-1967), Ph.D. in 1912
Egmont Zechlin (1896-1992), doctorate in 1922
Ernst Simon (1899-1988), Ph.D. in 1923
George W. F. Hallgarten (1901–1975), Ph.D. 1925
Walter Frank (1905–1945), Ph.D. 1927
Michael Freund (1902-1972), Ph.D. 1928
Paul Kluke (1908-1990), Ph.D. 1931
Margret Boveri (1900-1975), Ph.D. 1932
Felix Hirsch (1902-1982), Ph.D 1924
Lasalle. Zwischen Marx und Bismarck (Lassalle. Between Marx and Bismarck), 1904
Rudolf von Bennigsen. Ein deutscher liberaler Politiker (Rudolf von Bennigsen. A German liberal politician), 1910
Historisch-politische Aufsätze (Historical-political Essays), 1914
Das alte und das neue Mitteleuropa, 1917
Die Utopia des Thomas Morus und das Machtproblem in der Staatslehre, 1922
Die Rheinpolitik Kaiser Napoleons III von 1863 bis 1870 (The Rhine policy of Emperor Napoleon III from 1863 until 1870), 3 vol., 1926
Napoleon III. und der Rhein. Der Ursprung des Krieges von 1870/71 (Napoleon III. and the Rhine. The Origin of the War of 1870/71), 1926 (= separately published Introduction of Die Rheinpolitik Kaiser Napoleons III (The Rhine policy of Emperor Napoleon III))
Über das Motiv der "Sicherheit" in der europäischen Geschichte, 1926
Großherzog Friedrich I. von Baden und die deutsche Politik von 1854-1871 (Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden and the German policy of 1854-1871, 1927
Das Deutsche Reich und die Vorgeschichte des Weltkrieges (The German Reich and the Origin of the Great War), 2 vol., 1927
Cromwell. Vier Essays über die Führung einer Nation, 1935
Nation und Geschichte. Reden und Aufsätze 1919-1935 (Nation and History. Speeches and Essays 1919-1935), 1935