Ludwig Schmidt (18 July 1862 – 10 March 1944) was a German historian and librarian at the Saxon State and University Library Dresden.

He is best known for his magnum opus, Die Geschichte der deutschen Stämme bis zum Ausgang der Völkerwanderung (1904-1918), which up to the present day remains the standard reference work on the history of the Germanic peoples in the Migration Period.

He studied history at Leipzig University from 1881 to 1884, during which he developed an interest in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.

After his graduation, Schmidt was employed by the Saxon State and University Library Dresden, where he was appointed Senior Librarian in 1919 and Deputy Director in 1921.

From the early 20th century up to modern times, his book has been an essential resource for historians on the history of the Germanic peoples during the Migration Period.