The History of the Danube Symposium

by Professor Franz Gerstenbrand and Professor H.A.F. Schulze

translated and compiled by: Erika Grossmann

The roots for the foundation of the Danube Symposium (Donausymposium) can be traced back until 1956, when Prof. Dr. Hans Hoff, leader of the University Clinic of Psychiatry and Neurology Vienna was invited to neurological and psychiatric clinics in the former Tchechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Hungary. In the following years, several lectures were held by Prof. Hoff and Prof. Dr. Gerstenbrand, on the other hand numerous Central and East-European scientists had the chance to travel to the strictly neutral Austria and to exchange scientific experience with the Austrian colleagues.

As a consequence of these mutual exchange activities it was finally agreed to organise and to hold an international Symposium called "Donausymposium" in May 1962 in Vienna under the participation of neurological scientists from Austria, Western Germany, Switzerland and Central, East and South-European countries. After the successful conference it was decided to continue this kind of meeting. The next Donausymposium took place in 1964 again in Vienna, organised by the University Clinic of Psychiatry and Neurology Vienna, chairman of the Organising Committee was the initiator of the Symposium, Prof. Dr. Hans Hoff. From this year on, the Meeting was to take place every year and the scientific fields of neurology and psychiatry were seperated.

The overall goal of the Donausymposium was the mutual exchange of new scientific developments, topics in the field of neurology; member countries of the Danube Group were: Austria, former Western and Eastern Germany, all Central and East-European countries including the former Soviet Union; not participating were: Greece, Turkey and Albania.

In the following years, a legal body, the Danube Symposium Curatorium was organised, headed by Prof. Hans Hoff, later on by Prof. Herbert Reisner, and after his death, Prof. Dr. Franz Gerstenbrand was elected for General Secretary. Prof. Dr. G. Ransmayr was and still is responsible for scientific affairs, he was elected for Scientific Secretary. Instead of Vienna, the Danube Symposia were held in Innsbruck, alternately to one of the member countries. In 1994, Prof. M. Brainin took over the responsibilities of General Secretary, due to the appointment of Prof. Dr. Gerstenbrand to President. In 1999 Prof. Dr. László Vécsei was elected for General Secretary, therefore the Head Office and Secreteriat of the Danube Symposium was transferred to the Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Hungary. Prof. Ransmayr is the Scientific Secretary, Prof. Gerstenbrand was nominated for Honorary President.

Since 1994 the Curatorium and the Managing Board are responsible for the decisions concerning the venues of the meetings; moreover it is of outstanding importance to follow up the new tendencies and developments in neurology, therefore every Danube Symposium consists of a special scientific block called "Continuing Education" with free topics. This fact is also reflected in the name of the Danube Group, which is officially called "Danube Symposium for Neurological Sciences and Continuing Education". Due to historical reasons, the Danube Group also bears the title "Central and East-European Association for Neurology".

Head Office:

University of Szeged, Department of Neurology

H-6725 Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6., Hungary

Tel.: +36-62-545-351

Fax.: +36-62-545-597

E-mail: vecsei.laszlo@med.u-szeged.hu

BOARDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL DANUBE NEUROLOGY ASSOCIATION

OF CENTRAL AND EAST EUROPE