Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) is a public, research-oriented German university. It was created in 1817 through the merger of the University of Wittenberg (founded in 1502) and the University of Halle (founded in 1694). Today, the university is located in Halle and is the largest university in the Saxony-Anhalt region. MLU is named after the Protestant reformer Martin Luther, who was a professor in Wittenberg. With more than 1.500 international students coming from over 110 countries, MLU is a strongly international-oriented university. Given its history and reputation, numerous Nobel laureates and notable personalities attended the institution throughout the years.