What is history, and how do we know what the past was like? Historian Achim Landwehr presents a foundational work of historical theory in his new book 'The Present Absence of the Past.' In a clever philosophical turn, he demonstrates how we create our own past. For what historians refer to as "sources," the testimonies of past worlds, are merely fragments that require interpretation. For those who want to understand what lies beyond events in history, Achim Landwehr explains why reality is elusive and why we cannot escape history. Moreover, he develops a new model of historical time, emphasizing that in history, "everything flows.".