The Austrian Society for the History of Science is a member organization of the Federation of Austrian Scientific Societies (FASS).
History of science as a specific field of research within historical science has
attracted increased public attention since 1945 yet for a long time the lack of
any institutional anchor in Austria was imminent. For that reason, in 1980, the
“Austrian Society for the History of Natural Sciences” was established in order
to provide a forum open for everybody interested in topics and research
concerning that subject-matter, and, facing increasing interest in broader
scientific questions, in 1992 the Society was renamed “Austrian Society for
History of Science” (ÖGW). The ÖGW tries to provide an organizational foundation
for this interdisciplinary field. The Society offers regular lectures by historians,
international congresses and symposia, excursions, visits to libraries, museums,
and archives, guided by highly qualified experts. Furthermore, the Society publishes the
periodical “Mensch-Wissenschaft-Magie” (i.e. Man-Science-Magic), a journal that
provides the members of the Society the opportunity of publishing their research
results. During the 33 years of its existence, the ÖGW itself became part of
Austria’s history of science.
Hence a lively, scholarly debate on the aims of this field of research set in
motion in 1992 still continues to this day.
Concerning contents we feel history
of science should turn its focus towards these areas:
Last but not least, the history of documentation needs always to be included in the scientific context, a fact today often overlooked or neglected.
The ÖGW aims to cooperate with national and international scientific institutions and societies. Close collaboration exist with:
I. Foreign institutions and associations
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Munich (Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, München)
Academy of the Arts and Sciences Useful to the Public in Erfurt (Akademie gemeinnütziger Wissenschaften zu Erfurt)
Society for the History of Universities and Science, Münster/Westfalen (Gesellschaft für Universitäts- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte [GUW], Münster/Westfalen)
Society for the History of Science (Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsgeschichte e.V., Germany)
Linnean Society of London
International Commission on the History of Geosciences (INHIGEO)
Geological Society of London
Comité Français d’Histoire de la Géologie, Paris (COFRHIGÉO)II. National institutions and associations
Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien)
Center for the History of Science, University of Graz (Zentrum für Wissenschaftsgeschichte der Universität Graz)
Hortus Botanicus Vindobonensis – HBV (Botanischer Garten der Universität Wien)
Geological Society of Austria (Österreichische Geologische Gesellschaft)
Museum of Natural History, Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien)
Geological Survey of Austria, Vienna (Geologische Bundesanstalt, Wien)
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