Heinrich Gotthard von Treitschke was a historian and political writer in the German Empire. Born in Dresden, Treitschke studied in Leipzig, Bonn, Tübingen, and Freiburg and worked as a professor of history and politics at Freiburg, Kiel, and Heidelberg. Espousing liberal views, he supported German unification under a parliamentary government. From 1871 to 1884, Treitschke served as a member of the Reichstag (parliament of the German Empire), first with the Nationalliberale Partei (National Liberal Party), later as a conservative-leaning independent. In 1874 Treitschke was made professor at Humboldt University in Berlin and shortly after official historiographer of the Prussian state.