Rainer Karlsch (born 3 April 1957) is a German historian and author.^[1]

Karlsch was born in Stendal. He studied economic history at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He graduated in 1986 as a Doctor of Economics.

From 1992-1994, assistant to the Historical commission on Berlin (Historischen Kommission zu Berlin).

From 1995-1998, assistant to a key DFG program.

Since 1999, assistant to Institute for economic policy and economic history of the Free University of Berlin.

Together with the TV journalist Heiko Petermann, he investigated intensively the four-year history of German atomic research. They were supported by international historians, physicists and radio chemists. In 2005, he published his controversial book Hitlers Bombe, in which he argued Nazi Germany may have secretly developed and tested a nuclear weapon. Other historians ^[who?] have disputed his claims.

He is a winner of the Stinnes Award.