# MAX - Museum Analytics

> online tool for the comparative analysis of museum databases

**Wikidata**: [Q113162484](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113162484)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/max-museum-analytics

## Summary
MAX – Museum Analytics is a German, open-source web application that lets museums compare and analyse their collection databases side-by-side. Built as an academic science project at LMU Munich, it is freely available under GPL-3.0 and can be explored at https://www.max.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/.

## Key Facts
- Instance of: science project and web application (German academic context)
- License: GNU General Public License 3.0, dated 2022-07-20 per GitHub LICENSE.md
- Source code repository: https://github.com/arthist-lmu/max
- Official website: https://www.max.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/ (German-language interface)
- Logo file: Logo_MAX_Museum_Analytics.png on Wikimedia Commons
- Country of origin: Germany
- Aliases: MAX, Museum Analytics
- Copyright status: copyrighted

## FAQs
### Q: What does MAX actually do?
A: It is an online tool that ingests museum databases and enables comparative analytics, helping institutions benchmark holdings, identify gaps, and plan joint exhibitions.

### Q: Is MAX free to use?
A: Yes. The application is released under GPL-3.0, so anyone can run, modify, and redistribute the code provided they honour the same open-source terms.

### Q: Who maintains the project?
A: The code is hosted and developed under the GitHub organisation "arthist-lmu", indicating academic stewardship by LMU Munich's Art History department.

### Q: Do I need to install software?
A: No. MAX is a web application; users interact through a browser, while institutions can self-host the server components.

## Why It Matters
Museums traditionally operate in data silos, making it hard to see collection overlaps or plan shared exhibitions. MAX breaks these silos by offering a ready-made, open-source comparative platform. Because it is browser-based, curators, registrars, and researchers can run analyses without specialised desktop software. The GPL-3.0 licence removes cost barriers for cash-strapped institutions and encourages community improvements, while German academic hosting lends credibility and continuity. In a cultural sector increasingly driven by data-driven curation and international cooperation, MAX provides a neutral, standards-friendly hub that turns disparate databases into actionable insight, supporting everything from provenance research to digital storytelling.

## Notable For
- One of the few open-source analytics tools purpose-built for museum collections rather than generic data sets
- Explicitly supports side-by-side institutional comparison, a function rarely offered by collection-management systems
- Hosted and developed within a German university context, ensuring research-grade transparency
- Full codebase publicly available on GitHub, enabling independent audits and community enhancements
- Web-native architecture eliminates the need for local software installation for end-users

## Body
### Purpose and Scope
MAX is designed to let museums upload or connect their existing collection databases and perform comparative analyses. Curators can detect overlapping artists, themes, or object types, facilitating joint loans and exhibitions.

### Technical Footprint
The project is structured as a modern web application, with the server components released on GitHub under the account "arthist-lmu". Licensing under GPL-3.0 (documented 2022-07-20) guarantees end-users the freedoms to use, study, share, and improve the software. The production instance is served from LMU Munich's domain: https://www.max.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/.

### Governance and Copyright
Although freely licensed, the code and branding remain copyrighted by the contributors. Institutions that self-host must comply with GPL obligations, including making modified source code available to users.

### Current Status
No version numbers or release dates beyond the 2022 licence snapshot are supplied in the source material; interested parties should consult the GitHub repository for real-time commits and issue tracking.

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/arthist-lmu/max/blob/master/LICENSE.md)