# Jacques Le Goff

_French historian (1924-2014)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/jacques-le-goff
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Jacques Le Goff (French: [ʒak lə ɡɔf]; 1 January 1924 – 1 April 2014) was a French historian and prolific author specializing in the Middle Ages, particularly the 12th and 13th centuries.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1 January 1924 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Toulon ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P19))
- **Died:** 1 April 2014 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P570))
- **Place of death:** 10ᵗʰ arrondissement of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P27))
- **Occupation:** historian; French resistance fighter; medievalist; researcher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P106))
- **Political party:** Unified Socialist Party (1958–1962) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P102))
- **Education:** École Normale Supérieure; Lycée Louis-le-Grand; Lycée Thiers ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P69))
- **Positions held:** president (1975–1977); member of the École française de Rome (1952–1953) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P39))
- **Awards:** Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎; CNRS Gold medal; Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for History; honorary doctor of the Jagiellonian University of Krakow; Broquette-Gonin prize; Hegel Prize; Historian Prize of the city of Münster; Grand Prix Gobert; Dan David Prize; Grand Prix d’Histoire de la Ville de Paris; honorary doctorate from the University of Parma; honorary doctor of the University of Pavia; Corresponding Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America; Commander of the Legion of Honour ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992#P166))

## About

Le Goff championed the Annales School movement, which emphasizes long-term trends over the topics of politics, diplomacy, and war that dominated 19th-century historical research. From 1972 to 1977, he was the head of the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris. He was a leading figure of New History, related to cultural history. Le Goff argued that the Middle Ages formed a civilization of its own, distinct from both Classical Antiquity and the modern world.

## Questions

**When was Jacques Le Goff born?**  
Jacques Le Goff was born on 1 January 1924 in Toulon.

**What positions has Jacques Le Goff held?**  
Positions held by Jacques Le Goff include: president (1975–1977); member of the École française de Rome (1952–1953).

**Where did Jacques Le Goff study?**  
Jacques Le Goff was educated at École Normale Supérieure, Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Lycée Thiers.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Jacques Le Goff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Le_Goff) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q213992](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213992) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Jacques Le Goff, Anna Zadrożyńska (nekrolog).jpg by Mateusz Opasiński (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacques_Le_Goff,_Anna_Zadro%C5%BCy%C5%84ska_(nekrolog).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Jacques Le Goff, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Jacques Le Goff, Anna Zadrożyńska (nekrolog).jpg — Mateusz Opasiński, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Jacques Le Goff". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jacques-le-goff. Retrieved 6 November 2026.