!!!Akademie der Wissenschaften, Österreichische
Academy of Sciences, Austrian (Akademie der Wissenschaften,
Oesterreichische), independent body, financed mainly by the federal
government partly by foundations and subsidies. Regarded as the
highest-ranking representative body of the scientific community and
the leading research institution in Austria. The Academy has an
important library and (since 1973) its own publishing house.
\\
Numerous proposals to establish an Academy of Sciences in Vienna were
(1712-1716 made by G. W. Leibniz, 1718, 1721, 1749 by J. C.
Gottsched, 1750 etc.) but were not followed up by the respective
Austrian rulers for a long time, mainly for financial reasons; it was
not until 12 renowned Austrian scholars (J. von Hammer-Purgstall,
A. von Arneth, N. J. von Jacquin, J. J. von
Littrow, J. J. von Prechtl and others) wrote a petition in
1837 that a founding constitution was drawn up with the co-operation
of Metternich and signed on May 14, 1847. The "Kaiserliche Akademie
der Wissenschaften in Vienna" (Imperial Academy of Sciences in Vienna)
saw itself as a society of scholars and bastion of scientific freedom.
After the fall of the Austrian monarchy, the Academy of Sciences was
put on a legally and financially secure basis under federal law in
1921 as the "Academy of Sciences in Vienna" and in 1947 as the
"Austrian Academy of Sciences"; its task of "promoting science and
research in every respect" was also confirmed.
\\
The Academy of Sciences is divided into a mathematics and natural
science section (mathematics, natural sciences, medicine, technical
sciences) and a philosophy/history section (humanities, legal studies,
political science and business/economics) and comprises up to 90
permanent members in Austria, up to 250 corresponding members
(although they maintain all of their rights as members, permanent and
corresponding members 70 years of age or older are not counted for the
purpose of membership limits), and up to 24 honorary members.
Permanent members elect the President and Vice President of the
Academy of Sciences (term: 3 years) and 2 secretaries (term:
4 years), all of whom have to be confirmed by the Austrian
President, as well as new members from among the most renowned figures
in science and research.
\\
From the beginning, the Academy was very active in founding and
promoting all areas of academic studies, only a few of which can be
mentioned as examples here. For instance, the Academy of Sciences
published the "Archiv fuer oesterreichische Geschichte (Archives of
Austrian History, from 1934; previously "Archiv fuer Kunde
oesterreichischer Geschichtsquellen" - Archives for the Study of
Austrian Historical Sources), the source edition "Fontes rerum
Austriacarum" (Sources of Austrian Studies, from 1849), supported the
publication of the"Biographisches Lexicon des Kaisertums Oesterreich"
(Biographical Lexicon of the Empire of Austria) by C. Wurzbach,
occasioned the foundation of the Zentralanstalt fuer Meteorologie und
Geodynamik (1851), was involved in the "Novara's" circumnavigation of
the globe (1857-1859), supported and initiated numerous Austrian
expeditions (e.g. North Pole Expedition and archaeological
excavations ( Ephesus, Limes and others), founded Europe's first
phonograph archives in 1899, has published the "Monumenta Germaniae
Historica" together with the Academies in Munich and Berlin since 1875
and has carried out long-term publication and serial publication
projects (Oesterreichisches Biographisches Lexikon/Austrian
Biographical Lexicon 1815-1950, Die Habsburgermonarchie/The Habsburg
Monarchy 1848-1918, Oesterr. Staedtebuch/Book of Austrian Towns,
A.-Schnitzler-Tagebuch/Diary of Arthur Schnitzler, etc.). The research
of the Academy of Sciences in the fields of social studies and the
humanities has not only made internationally respected contributions
to the development of humanities (e.g. in Byzantine studies, Iranian
studies, numismatics, linguistics and literary studies), it has also
laid important foundations for regional policy and planning and for
the assessment of public-sector measures in health, family and social
policy (for example at the Institut fuer Demographie/Institute of
Demographic Studies or the Institut fuer Stadt- und
Regionalforschung/Institute for Urban and Regional Research). The
systematic investigation of everyday life and material culture in the
Middle Ages and in the early Modern era carried out by the Institut
fuer Realienkunde/Institute for the Study of Artifacts (Krems) has
also opened up new perspectives in the study of history. In the 20th
century, the mathematics and natural sciences section of the Academy
has concentrated its research on physics, biology, medicine and
environmental studies. The institutes of the Academy collaborate with
large international research institutions (CERN, Paul Scherrer
Institute and others). Of all the Academy's outstanding achievements,
the following are most worthy of mention: participation in the UA 1
Experiment (proved the existence of W and Z bosons, Nobel Prize 1984),
in the DELPHI experiment (detector for lepton, photon and hadron
identification), the construction of magnetometers for space travel
(Venus, Mars, VEGA Project), contributions towards the explanation of
genetic structure, genetic regulation and the like, of Alzheimer's
disease, of human thinking processes using EEG (Electroencephalogram),
of severe blood diseases, etc. In the field of comparative behavioral
studies, the ideas of K. Lorenz are still being pursued (animal
behaviour, with special attention to adaptation to the environment).
In environment-related research, ecosystem analyses of flowing bodies
of water are performed, limits for air pollutants are set, and
interdisciplinary groups of engineers, natural and social scientists
and economists identify socio-economic/ecological developments and
make accompanying prognoses with the help of computer models.
Questions of technology's effects on people and on economic and social
development are also being investigated. The Academy reacts to topics
relevant to the future by constantly restructuring its organisation
and allocation of resources.
\\
As of 1993, the Academy's research was carried out in the Institutes
(Phonograph Archives, 1899; Comparative Behavioral Studies, 1966;
Medium-Energy Physics, 1987; High-Energy Physics, 1966; Molecular
Biology, 1966; Limnology, 1972; Information Processing, 1968, 1972;
Solid-State Physics, 1971; Space Research, 1972; Biophysics and X-Ray
Structure Research, 1974, 1991; Biomedical Gerontology, 1987, 1991;
Study of Artifacts of the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, 1967,
1990; Cartography, 1969; Demography, 1975; Urban and Regional
Research, 1946, 1988; Asian Cultural and Intellectual History, 1985,
1992); in the research departments (Technology Assessment, 1987;
Physiology and Anatomy of the Cerebral Cortex, 1968, 1990;
Experimental Neuropathology, 1968, 1990; Biosystematics and Ecology,
1991, 1993; Socio-economics, 1991), in the facilities (Austrian
Biographical Encyclopedia and Documentation, 1946, 1993; Encyclopedias
of Austrian Dialects and Names, 1911, 1993) and in over 40
commissions. The Academy also prepares reports on research and
scientific questions for government authorities. Every year, progress
reports are presented and awards are conferred. The seat of the
Academy has been the old building of the University of Vienna since
1857 ( Aula).
\\
Presidents of the Academy (ph. = philosophy/history section, m. =
mathematics/natural sciences section): Baron Josef von
Hammer-Purgstall (ph.), 1847-1849; Baron Andreas von Baumgartner (m.),
(1849) 1851-1865; Ritter Theodor von Karajan (ph.), 1866-1869; Ritter
Carl von Rokitansky (m.), 1869-1878; Ritter Alfred von Arneth (ph.),
1879-1897; Eduard Suess (m.), 1898-1911; Ritter Eugen von Boehm-Bawerk
(ph.), 1911-1914; Viktor Edler von Lang (m.), 1915-1919; Oswald
Redlich (ph.), 1919-1938; Heinrich Srbik (ph.), 1938-1945; Ernst
Spaeth (m.), 1945/1946; Heinrich Ficker (m.), 1946-1951; Richard
Meister (ph.), 1951-1963; Erich Schmid (m.), 1963-1969; Albin Lesky
(ph.), 1969-1970; Erich Schmid (m.), 1970-1973; Herbert Hunger (ph.),
1973-1982; Erwin Ploeckinger (m.), 1982-1985; Hans Tuppy (m.),
1985-1987; Otto Hittmair (m.), 1987-1991; Werner Welzig (ph.) since
1991.
!Publications
Almanac (since 1951), memoranda, minutes of meetings,
gazettes; works of individual commissions and institutes, as well as
individual works and series.
!Further reading
R. Meister, Geschichte der
Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien 1847-1947, 1947.
Oesterreichische Akademie (ed.), Die Oesterreichische
Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1994.
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