CORNELIUS, Karl Adam. – German historian, b. at Würzburg on 12 March 1819, d. at Munich on 10 February 1903. After teaching for some time at the gymnasium in Braunsberg, he was appointed in 1854 professor at the University of Bonn and two years later at that of Munich. In 1870 he left the Church to become leader of the Old Catholic movement stirred up by J. Döllinger, together with his disciples Druffel, Ritter, and Stieve.
Among his works the following deserve special mention: *Die ministerischen Humanisten und ihr Verhältnis zur Reformation* (Bonn 1851); *Geschichte des münsterischen Aufruhrs der Vierteljahre* (2 vols., Munich 1855–60); *Studien zur Geschichte des Bauernkrieges* (ibid. 1851).
Bibl.: *Der Grosse Brockhaus*, IV, Leipzig 1929, p. 232; Ph. Funk, s. V. in *L’ThK.* III, col. 48; A. De Gubernatis, *Dict. intern. des écrivains du jour*, I, pp. 693 sq. Emma Santovito.