Endoscopy 2019; 51(01): 1
DOI: 10.1055/a-0772-5697
Note from the publisher
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Happy Birthday, Endoscopy!

Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
20 December 2018 (online)

Dear Readers,

This year – 2019 – is a very special one for Endoscopy: our journal is half a century old! Founded in 1969, Endoscopy was one of the first journals dedicated exclusively to this – back then – relatively new technique and its various instruments. As such, the journal started with a rather large focus – any type of “endoscope” in any kind of medical field was deemed suitable. Thus the first years saw papers on procedures now no longer associated with the journal, such as bronchoscopy, hysteroscopy, retroperitoneoscopy, ureteroscopy – to name but a few – as well as papers concerning the GI tract. Another feature that seems unusual from today’s perspective was the fact that the journal accepted and published articles in French, German, and English – underlining, however, the early international orientation of Endoscopy, before English finally became the lingua franca of modern scientific publishing.

Starting off with 4 issues per year, Endoscopy published 6 issues per annum as of 1980, growing to 9 regular issues in 1992. It has been publishing 12 issues per year ever since 2000 – reflecting the ever-growing importance of the field and the amount of high-quality research performed around the world. For many years now Endoscopy has been at the very forefront of scientific excellence and it is one of the absolute top journals in the field. As such, the conviction of Ludwig Demling, one of Endoscopy’s founding fathers and its ever-first Editor-in-Chief, has come true: “That the publication of Endoscopy will satisfy a real need and that the journal will very soon take its deserved place in the international literature.”

And of course the journal owes its success to the people that have made it great. These are, no doubt, our authors and reviewers, but especially the great minds that participated as Editors, Co-Editors and Assistant Editors. To list them all would be too much here indeed, but we would like to pay tribute to our visionary Editors-in-Chief. To Ludwig Demling, who co-founded the journal and served as Editor-in-Chief until 1991. During his time he was joined by Rudolf Ottenjann and Hans-Wilhelm Schreiber as fellow Editors-in-Chief. In 1991, Meinhard Classen took over and, together with Thomas Rösch as Editorial Assistant, turned the journal into an international hub for endoscopists. Thomas Rösch was Meinhard Classen’s natural successor in 2004, and he established the editor steering group with whom he very successfully continued to cement the international reputation and importance of the journal. Ever since 2013, Peter D. Siersema has occupied the position of Editor-in-Chief, presiding over unprecedented growth in impact factor scores and submissions.

We, Thieme, would like to thank each and every one of those mentioned above – whether by name or by function – for their dedication and great work that have made Endoscopy an international story of success. We have, of course, some celebrations planned for this year – but apart from drawing your attention to the remarkable cover of this issue, we will leave the scientific aspects of our anniversary specials to our current Editor-in-Chief and his team.

The Publisher
Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart