Karl Wilhelm Nitzsch

Karl Wilhelm Nitzsch (22 December 1818 in Zerbst – 20 June 1880 in Berlin) was a German historian known for his studies of ancient Rome and medieval Germany. He was the son of classical philologist Gregor Wilhelm Nitzsch (1790–1861).

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).