I refer to Wikipedia:Naming_conventions#Use_English_words and the more detailed explanation at Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(use_English). Specifically, "Name your pages in English and place the native transliteration on the first line of the article unless the native form is more commonly recognized by readers than the English form. The choice between anglicized and native spellings should follow English usage . . . Sometimes the usual English version will differ somewhat from the local form as in Franz Josef Strauss; and rarely, as with Mount Everest, it will be completely different."
Based on these conventions, Friedrich Froebel is where most English speakers would expect to find this article. This is how he has been referred to for over 150 years in many English language texts and reference materials as well as the many Schools, Kindergartens and teacher training colleges throughout the English speaking world which are named in his honor.
Using German spelling simply confuses most English speakers and makes the article less accessible.
The same could be said of many entries in Wikipedia such as Charlemagne (The earliest extant forms of Charlemagne's name are in the Latinate form, "Carolus" or "Karolus") or Clovis_I (In primary sources Clovis' name is spelled in a number of variants: The Frankish form Chlodovech was Latinised as Chlodovechus, from which came the Latin name Ludovicus, which evolved into the French name Louis.). These are the names used by English speakers in reference works rather than the names used by the individuals in life. Fred20x (talk) 14:43, 17 November 2008 (UTC)
Redundancy
editHaving two articles about Friedrich Fröbel is a bit redundant. If there are no serious objections, I should like to remedy that situation. I'll wait a week. Kelisi (talk) 13:49, 30 November 2008 (UTC)
Right, the week's up. Kelisi (talk) 13:49, 7 December 2008 (UTC)