1830
Founder’s Day is celebrated for the first time to commemorate the founding of LMU and highlight its contributions to research.
Nowadays Founder`s day is celebrated in the Große Aula (assembly hall). | © KOMMUNIKATION & PRESSE LMU MUENCHEN
In 1830 a royal decree directed that an annual celebration be instituted to commemorate the foundation of the University. Founder’s Day is generally celebrated on 26 June, the day on which the University was formally reopened in Munich following its removal from Landshut. In addition to the official festivities, the occasion was marked by the presentation of prizes for essays on topics assigned by the different faculties and the subjects for the following year’s competition were announced.
Founder’s Day remains an occasion for reflection on the University’s history and an opportunity to highlight the quality of research at LMU, in particular the work of junior academics. Nowadays the program begins with an address given by the President of the University, which is followed by an invited lecture. Then prizes for the best doctoral and Habilitation theses (sponsored by the Munich University Association), and the Georg Heberer Award for Medical Research (sponsored by the Chiles Foundation, Portland, Oregon, USA), are presented to the winning authors.
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