The Resume

(November 30, 1817-November 1, 1903)
Born in Garding, Denmark (now part of Germany)
Birth name was Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen
Classical scholar and historian
Professor of Roman History at the University of Berlin (1861-87)
Wrote the three-volume ‘History of Rome’ (19854-56)
Delegate to the Prussian House of Representatives (1863-66,1873-79) and German Reichstag (1881-84)
Won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1902)

Why he might be annoying:

He had to leave Denmark after advocating for Germany to annex his home province of Schleswig (1848).
He never finished the fourth volume of ‘History of Rome.’
His proposed solution to anti-Semitism was for Jews to act less Jewish.
He advocated violence against Slavic nations: ‘The Czech skull is impervious to reason, but it is susceptible to blows.’

Why he might not be annoying:

He suffered burns while rescuing manuscripts after the library of his house caught fire (1880).
A critic described his ‘History of Rome’ as presenting ‘scientific learning with the stylistic vigor of a novel.’
He is one of the few nonfiction authors to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Breeders [Have 5 or More Kids] (Ranked: 16)
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 76]
• Guggenheim Fellowship Grant Recipients
• Historians
• I Died in 1903 (Ranked: 85)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• I Sought Political Office
• Known By a Middle Name
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• Nobel Prize for Literature
• Profiles 47001-47250 (Ranked: 47018)

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying