Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum (1828–1899), a German psychiatrist, is widely recognized for his seminal work Catatonia or Tension Insanity, published 1874, in which he first conceptualized catatonia as a distinct psychomotor disorder. However, the observation of catatonic signs in the context of mental illness predates Kahlbaum’s formal classification. Understanding the history and development of different clinical concepts of catatonia before and after Kahlbaum is paramount for grasping the intricacies of current classification systems such as ICD-11 and DSM-5. Historical perspectives provide valuable insights into the evolution of diagnostic criteria and conceptualizations of catatonia over time, highlighting the diverse array of clinical presentations and the challenges inherent in defining and categorizing this complex syndrome. Further, by studying historical perspectives, clinicians and researchers gain insight into the diverse ways in which catatonia has been perceived, defined, and categorized throughout history. This chapter includes previous work on the topic of the history of catatonia as well as more recent systematic research in electronic historical archives. It addresses the origins of catatonic signs during the eighteenth century and how the concept of catatonia has been embedded in historical psychiatric literature of the nineteenth century.