Talk:LMU Munich

Accepted English names for LMU

The LMU Munich does not accept the wording "Ludwig Maximilian University", see for their content style guide. The official English name is "Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München" (same as German). Other accepted English names are "Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich", or "LMU Munich". ~2026-33070-6 (talk) 01:52, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not necessarily conform to an article subject's style guide. Wikipedia policy is to follow the standard English-language version, which my cursory search suggests seems to be Ludwig Maximilian University rather than Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. If you have evidence to the contrary, please say so. radioactOlive_(she/it)(talk) 02:02, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

I understand that Wikipedia should not be dictated by style guides, but serious English sources do not appear to be using the name "Ludwig Maximilian University" on a regular level -- for whatever reason -- either. A quick search on the internet on credible websites about LMU and other universities gives me, e.g., , or . Or for some variety. None of them use "Ludwig Maximilian University", but "University of Munich", "LMU Munich", or "Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München" instead. I have not yet seen a good evidence why "Ludwig Maximilian University" should be used. What was the original evidence for that name in the article? ~2026-33070-6 (talk) 03:09, 16 January 2026 (UTC)

Since there has been no response, I’d like to reiterate that per WP:COMMONNAME, multiple independent English-language sources (THE, QS, ARWU) overwhelmingly use “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München”, “LMU Munich”, or “University of Munich”, while I have not found comparable usage of any form of “Ludwig Maximilian University”. If contrary evidence exists, please provide it. @RadioactOlive: ~2026-37209-2 (talk) 19:30, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Ah sorry totally forgot to respond to this. If a more in-depth search reveals that that is the common name, than it should be used (and, perhaps, the page should be moved.) I don't know why that name was originally chosen. (I have no particular affiliation to this page, I just happened to spot it while looking at recent changes.) radioactOlive_(she/it)(talk) 22:17, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Thanks for your reply! Can I just change the name and move the page accordingly while giving the above references or is there some other procedure that I should follow in that case? ~2026-37209-2 (talk) 22:25, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

I believe you can just change the name, but you won't be able to move the page unless you have an account and get autoconfirmed. (One of many reasons I'd recommend creating an account!) In the meantime, I believe you can also get a page moved by posting about it on WP:RMTR. radioactOlive_(she/it)(talk) 22:31, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Cool, just did that, thanks for your help! ~2026-37209-2 (talk) 23:40, 17 January 2026 (UTC)

Requested move 18 January 2026

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. There is, first of all, consensus that the current title will not do. We then go to WP:BARTENDER to determine the appropriate destination. Proof finder's comment following my relist (the last one) has assuaged my concerns regarding WP:FELU. There is also general consensus, even from !opposes, to use a English title. Thus we arrive at LMU Munich.

I will use my discretion as a closer to note that, even as WP:ENGLISHTITLE is policy, so is WP:FELU, which editors will see if they read the very next paragraph. As this offers exceptions to the former, it would be nice if, for future RMs, editors took that into account in their arguments; this would make evaluating consensus through the lens of policy and consequently closing discussions easier. (closed by non-admin page mover) Iseult ^Δx talk to me 16:24, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

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Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich → Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München – Per WP:COMMONNAME, multiple independent English-language sources (THE, QS, ARWU) overwhelmingly use “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München”, “LMU Munich”, or “University of Munich”, while I have not found comparable usage of any form of “Ludwig Maximilian University”, also not in the current article , , . Moreover, LMU's content style guide does also advise against “Ludwig Maximilian University (of Munich)” or variations thereof. Any Google searches on “Ludwig Maximilian University” or “Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich” provide sources that, upon closer inspection, indicate that they either cannot agree on a common name as they give a plethora of different spellings, or they actually refer to any of the three names referred by the reliable sources given above. Alternatively, the names “LMU Munich” or “University of Munich” could be considered, as they are also more frequent in reliable independent English-language sources than the current name. Proof finder (talk) 13:43, 18 January 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. - 🔥𝑰𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 (𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌)🔥 15:59, 25 January 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. HundredVisionsAndRevisions (talk) 15:56, 6 February 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. TarnishedPath^talk 09:39, 16 February 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. Iseult ^Δx talk to me 01:10, 11 March 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose the proposed name. The LMU's content style guide is intended for authors of LMU publications, not external publications like wikipedia, and is not entirely relevant here. On wikipedia, the relevant article title policy is WP:ENGLISHTITLE, so the proposed German name is not appropriate. Is the current title the WP:COMMONNAME? MOS:ACROTITLE indicates that acronyms should only be used if the subject is primarily known by its abbreviation. ngrams indicates that "LMU Munich" is used slightly more than "Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich" in book sources, but this is not conclusive. Nonetheless, this can be read as a support to move to "LMU Munich" if there is sufficient support from other users. Polyamorph (talk) 16:32, 18 January 2026 (UTC) I have formalised my support !vote for LMU Munich below Polyamorph (talk) 12:30, 7 February 2026 (UTC)

  Thanks for the ngrams reference and mentioning MOS:ACROTITLE!

  I have the impression that the article's current title is clearly not a WP:COMMONNAME, but both “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München” and “LMU Munich” clearly are. The title “University of Munich” is rather an outdated common name, based on its usage, and bears the possibility to be confused with Technical University of Munich, and thus not adhere to MOS:PRECISION.

  Hence, I would say that both “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München” and “LMU Munich” are clearly preferable to the current name, with a necessity to either favor WP:ENGLISHTITLE for “LMU Munich” or MOS:ACROTITLE and MOS:PRECISION for “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München”. Proof finder (talk) 22:09, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

• Support per nom. Very clear common name. -- Necrothesp (talk) 12:18, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Note: WikiProject Munich has been notified of this discussion. - 🔥𝑰𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 (𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌)🔥 15:59, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

• Support per nom.--Ortizesp (talk) 19:40, 25 January 2026 (UTC)
• Leaning toward University of MunichUniversity of Munich as WP:CONCISE and the WP:COMMONNAME, as described in the opening sentence and per Britannica and US News & World Report. That name has redirected to this topic for more than 20 years without any apparent disagreement that "University of Munich" primarily refers to this institution. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 21:59, 25 January 2026 (UTC)
  • I'm sure it does, but that's definitely not its common name. -- Necrothesp (talk) 15:21, 27 January 2026 (UTC)
• Support per nom. Grimes2 22:24, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

Relisting comment: as requested, I have re-opened the RM as there is disagreement on my rationale for closing HundredVisionsAndRevisions (talk) 15:56, 6 February 2026 (UTC)

Oppose, this is English Wikipedia, and we should use English titles per WP:ENGLISHTITLE. Nobody is seriously proposing that for Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and Burmese universities we are going to use names in those languages, it obviously wouldn't work. No more should we do so for European languages, it's a gross mistake, and we should certainly not be making policy on the hoof by changing this one article title here. We've never done this and we should not be starting now. Chiswick Chap (talk) 20:23, 6 February 2026 (UTC)

Why is it a "gross mistake" to use the common name rather than a rarely-used translation? UE does not mandate the slavish translation of every name into English. -- Necrothesp (talk) 16:14, 9 February 2026 (UTC)

Just to intervene on this false "We've never done this" narrative: How about Technische Universität Darmstadt, Technische Universität Berlin, or Technische Universität Ilmenau for a start? Proof finder (talk) 17:59, 9 February 2026 (UTC)

• Support alternative title LMU Munich. I'm a bit confused by the relisting. While I still oppose the proposed German name, the target LMU Munich is an acceptable English language commoname target. Polyamorph (talk) 09:52, 7 February 2026 (UTC)
  • It was relisted because it was renamed to something only one editor supported! That's not how RM works. -- Necrothesp (talk) 16:15, 9 February 2026 (UTC)

  Don't like the abbreviation, better: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Grimes2 17:58, 9 February 2026 (UTC)

• Support Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and alternative title LMU Munich per WP:COMMONNAME for both, WP:NCACRO and WP:PRECISE for the former, and WP:ENGLISHTITLE and WP:CONCISE for the latter. Not sure if this comment was needed, but I give it just in case to avoid any confusion. Proof finder (talk) 17:40, 9 February 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose, the existing title (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) is clear and unmistakable, is in English, and is used by the University itself, as in this news item dated 12 February 2026. However, if there's consensus that the page must (for some reason not yet made clear here) be moved, then it should be to the correct German title, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, as in other cases where we're unable to choose between a variety of English-language titles – per WP:UE, "...follow the conventions of the language appropriate to the subject (e.g. German for German politicians, Portuguese for Brazilian towns)". Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 18:48, 15 February 2026 (UTC)

  Concerning the usage by the university itself, you perform very obvious cherry-picking. A university-internal search for Ludwig Maximilian University [1], Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität [2], and LMU Munich [3] clearly shows this. Adding to the reasons, maybe not clear to you, but given above, this is yet again another evidence that "Ludwig Maximilian University (of Munich)" is clearly not the common name. Proof finder (talk) 19:05, 15 February 2026 (UTC)

  I think we're allowed a certain amount of cherry-picking by MOS:TM to use ordinary English formatting when sources are inconsistent. But I'm pretty sure a suggestion of "Ludwig–Maximilian University of Munich" would be unpopular, although I think that would be the proper punctuation in English for this dual-name attributive compound. Nobody seemed to like University of MunichUniversity of Munich either. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 03:21, 23 February 2026 (UTC)

  I do not see how your point applies on evidence for the usage by the university itself, which is the issue where Justlettersandnumbers performed the cherry-picking, because the numbers clearly show that the amount of usage of "Ludwig Maximilian University (of Munich)" is absolutely negligible compared to usage of "Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (München)" or "LMU Munich". The user Justlettersandnumbers did not argue concerning proper punctuation, however. Your proposition "Ludwig–Maximilian University of Munich" does seem to have even less common usage in numbers, in fact. Not sure what your last sentence is supposed to indicate; "University of Munich" is the former name and mostly either used in historical contexts, or by some people as a marketing campaign to unite the two large universities in Munich. Proof finder (talk) 03:50, 23 February 2026 (UTC)

• Strong Oppose. Use English. Cfls (talk) 03:58, 4 March 2026 (UTC)

  Agree here. As a speaker of German, it honestly makes no sense to use a completely German name in English Wikipedia. Jjazz76 (talk) 01:36, 6 March 2026 (UTC)

  FYI, we have three "Technische Universität" titles (Berlin, Darmstadt, and Ilmenau) and nine "Technische Hochschule" titles. I argued against the Berlin one, but did not prevail. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 02:09, 11 March 2026 (UTC)

Relisting comment: Does the community have any opinion on the first two paragraphs of WP:FELU, which is policy and right below WP:ENGLISHTITLE? Iseult ^Δx talk to me 01:10, 11 March 2026 (UTC)

From all the arguments above, my understanding is that WP:ENGLISHTITLE and WP:FELU support a move to “LMU Munich”, whereas MOS:ACROTITLE and MOS:PRECISION support a move to “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München”, but none of those support the current title (“Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich”). While I am not a fan of the abbreviation, it seems that many participants strongly favor English language use, which would then give more backing to “LMU Munich”. Proof finder (talk) 09:56, 11 March 2026 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.