Why were government documents not a major source in Leopold von Ranke’s earliest research?

Government documents, such as state papers produced by public officials, were not a major source in Leopold von Ranke’s earliest research primarily because they were not generally available to historians at that time.1

While Ranke famously emphasized the importance of acquiring first-hand information—including memoirs, diaries, letters, and eyewitness reports—the archives containing official state documents remained largely closed to scholars when he began his career. It was only later, due to persistent pressure from the growing historical profession, that these archives were increasingly opened to researchers.1