Geschichte der Erdwissenschaften
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7. Wissenschaftshistorisches Symposium, Salzburg, 22. bis 25. Mai 2008
Tätigkeitsbericht 2004 bis 2006
Report on the activity of the working groups summarized in the "Working Group for the Study of Austrian History of Earth Sciences" 2004 to 2006
by Tillfried Cernajsek, Bernhard Hubmann & Johannes Seidl
General remarks
Since the year 1999 a working group for the study of earth sciences history is active in Austria. This group, the "Working Group for the Study of Austrian History of Earth Sciences", is part of the Austrian Geological Society (OeGG) but is also supported by the Austrian Society for History of Sciences (OeGW, working group "History of Geosciences") and the Montanhistoric Association for Austria (MHVOe). The presidency of the working group had changed during time, and recently Johannes Seidl (Archives of the University of Vienna) took over the presidency.
Conferences
2004
Commemoration ceremony on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the death of Eduard Suess on April, 26th 2004 in the festival room of the Austrian Geological Survey in Vienna
2005
8th International Symposium on Cultural Heritage in Geosciences, Mining and Metallurgy (Libraries, Archives, Collection) – organized together with the 5th Symposion "History of Earth Sciences in Austria" on October, 7th 2005 in Schwaz (Tyrol, Austria). About 100 participants coming from 20 foreign countries attended this meeting. An abstract volume containing 80 contributions (oral and poster presentations) was published; a proceeding volume published within the frame of the journal Geo.Alp is still in print.
The meeting Barbara-Gespräche 2005 (‘Barbara discussions’) was held on November, 17th-18th 2005 in Payerbach (Niederösterreich, Austria). Special attention was given to Georgius Agricola whose 500th anniversary of death was celebrated by an own course of lectures entitled "History of mining and earth sciences in the 16th century". This conference, which was participated by about 60 persons was organized by the Payerbach Geo-School, in cooperation with the Austrian Geological Survey and the Geological Service of Niederösterreich. An abstract booklet was included to the conference.
2006
At the end of 2006, during December 1st to 3rd the "Working Group for the Study of Austrian History of Earth Sciences", convened its 6th conference. The general title of the symposium was "Eduard Suess (1831-1914) and the development of Earth Sciences over the periods of "Biedermeier" and "Sezession" ".
About 110 persons participated in this conference which was held at the Geological Survey in Vienna. 24 talks were given and 12 posters were presented. As a special social event a "Barbara Umtrunk" – holy Barbara was celebrated with a drink! - was organized in the reading room of the library of the Geological Survey. On the last day of the meeting excursions visited the archive and collections of the Vienna Natural History Museum and the apartment house of Adalbert Stifter. Prior to the conference a volume containing 36 abstracts was printed. A proceedings-volume will be published.
Lectures
Apart from lectures given at several conferences the members of the working group also held individual lectures in Austria, which were partially also published.
Nominating for the INHIGEO membership
On the part of the "Working Group for the Study of Austrian History of Earth Sciences", which functions quasi as an Austrian national committee of the INHIGEO, the following person is recommended for admission to the international committee:
- Univ. Prof. Dr. Franz Pertlik, University of Vienna, Institute for Mineralogy and Crystallography
Documentations
In the years 2004 to 2006 more than two hundred papers on the history of the earth sciences in Austria were published. The abundance of the literature quotations would exceed the extent of the activity report given herein. It may be pointed out that in Austria three bibliographic files are dealing with science-historical and biographic contents and may be used via internet:
- Bibliothek der Geologischen Bundesanstalt: GEOLIT: http://www.geologie.ac.at/. Questions can be addressed directly to HR Dr. T. Cernajsek (tillfried.cernajsek@geologie.ac.at).
- Austrian historical bibliography: This file covers all historical publications over Austria including history of the sciences: http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/oehb/
- Montanhistorische Dokumentation der Universitätsbibliothek der Montanuniversität Leoben: documentation containing all literature on Austrian mining history: http://www.unileoben.ac.at/bibliothek/ . inquiries can directly addressed to Mrs. HR Dr. L. Jontes (jontes@unileoben.ac.at).
Literatur 2004 bis 2006 (Auswahl)
Tätigkeitsbericht 2002 bis 2003
Literatur 2002 und 2003 (Auswahl)
© 2007 Österreichische Geologische Gesellschaft
