About the Journ­al

The Journal for the Geological Sciences –  Zeitschrift für Geol­ogische Wissens­chaften  (Z­GW) – ha­s existed since 1973. It is an independent medium and dedicated strictly to science. The ZGW i­s published by Verlag für Geowissenschaften Berlin (at its branch office in Ahrensfelde, Germany). Its managing editor/publisher is Ulrich Wutzke.

Its Creation and Predecessors

The history of the Journal der  Zeitschrift für Geologische Wissenschaften  began in 1951. Through an administrative decision that year, the well-established Royal Prussian geological state office and mining academy in Berlin, Invalidenstraße 44 (founded in 1873) created the journal “Geologie” (Geology), the forerunner of ZGW. Their first issue appeared in 1952 through Akademie-Verlag Berlin (licensed on 21. January 1947) in the book format size 17 × 24 cm (large Oktavo, 8°). The Journal was published by the state geological commission (the predecessor of the Central Geological Institute). Friedrich Leutwein (Freiberg/Sachsen) was responsible for the publication. He was assisted by editorial staff: Serge v. Bubnoff (Berlin), Wolfgang Buchheim (Freiberg), Fritz Deubel (Jena), Walter Gross (Berlin), Arno Schüller (Berlin), G. Siemens (Leipzig) and Fritz Stock (Berlin). As of Volume 12 (1963), the Geological Society in the German Democratic Republic (founded 1954) took over as co-publisher, and one year later became the sole publisher. Until 1972, 21 volumes and a total of 79 special feature supplements were published.
Through a merger of “Geologie” along with its special issues and published report series “Berichte Reihe A” (geology and palaeontology) and “Reihe B” (mineralogy and ore deposit research) and the tretises “Paläontologischen Abhandlungen” (series “Reihe A”: palaeozoology and “B”: palaeobotany) from the Society, the journal “Zeitschrift für Geologische Wissenschaften” emerged. (The Society underwent several name changes: since 27.4.1965 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geologische Wissenschaften, as of 1.1.1973 Gesellschaft für Geologische Wissenschaften der DDR, and as of 1992 Gesellschaft für Geowissen-
schaften.) ZGW's first issue was published in 1973. In the following years, it published 12 issues annually, as previously with “Geologie”. This soon changed when repeatedly in the 1980s noticeable increasing paper shortages forced a downsizing. Since the cessation of "Geologie", the attractive high-quality glossy papers from earlier years were no longer used..

Publishing House, Managing Editors/Publishers, Editors-in-Chief

The first Editor-in-Chief of the Zeitschrift für Geologische Wissenschaften was Robert Lauterbach (Leipzig). In 1987 Manfred Störr (Greifswald) took over this role until 2000. Thereafter for a short time, this role was fulfilled by Ulf Linnemann (Dresden), Jan-Michael Lange (Dresden), Ulrich Wutzke (Berlin and Ahrens-
felde) and Horst Kämpf (Potsdam). In contrast, enormous changes occurred after 1989–1990. In 1992 the Journal was taken out of the publishing program of Akademie-Verlag, which had been bought by the publishing group VCH Verlagsgruppe Weinheim and transferred to the publisher Verlag der Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, Berlin and Ostklüne (Usedom).
Beginning with ZGW's Volume 29 ((2001), the from then on change to a larger format 21 × 29,7 cm (Lexikonformat, Lex. 8°) was released by the publisher, Verlag A. Störr (Ostklüne/Usedom) together with the Verlag für Geowissenschaften Berlin. Since 2002, Volume 30, ZGW has been published by Verlag für Geowissenschaften Berlin (in 2003–2005 again together with Verlag A. Störr). Since 2005, Volume 33, ZGW has been solely published by Verlag für Geowissenschaften.

Authors and Publications

Since the creation of  Zeitschrift für Geologische Wissenschaften  to this day, 306 issues with a total volume of 34 642 pages have been published. This has involved 2 022 contributors, who have published 3 892 articles, science information, reports and book reviews

References and further reading

Daber, R. (2000):

Er­innerungen an die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geologische W­issenschaften. - Geohistor. Blätter 3 (2): 129–138, Berlin

Lamprecht (1986):

Dokumentation. - Mitteilungen der GGW 14 (­2/3): 3–64, Berlin

Lokatis, S. (1996):

Die Gründung des Akademie-Verlages. - Sitzungsberichte der Leibniz-Sozietät 15
      (7/8): 81–98, Berlin

Lüttig, G. (1974):

Zur 100jährigen Wiederkehr der Gründung der Preußischen G­eologischen Landes-
      anstalt. - Geol. Jahrbuch A 15: 9–15, Hannover

Meinhold, K.-D.

(Koordinator, 2003): 125 Jahre Preussische Geologische Landesanstalt und ihre
      Nachfolger – Geschichte und Gegenwart. - Geol. Jahrbuch G 10, Hannover

Tischendorf, G. (1999):

Zwischen Überzeugung und Aufbegehren. Biographischer Bericht eines
      Freiberger Mineralogen. - Schkeuditz (GNN-Verlag)

Udluft, H. (1968):

Die Preußische Geologische Landesanstalt 1873–1939. - Beih. Geol. Jahrbuch 78,
      Hannover

Wasternack, J., Tischendorf, G.

et al. (1991): Bericht der Reha­­bilitierungs­kom­mis­sion im
      ehemaligen Zentralen Geologischen Institut, Berlin, zu Vorkommnissen der Reglementierung, Maß-
      regelung und Diskriminierung von Mitarbeitern insbesondere in der Periode 1976–1989. - Berlin

Wutzke, U., Kaemmel, Th. & R. Wörsching (2000):

Das Jahrbuch für Geologie. - Geohistor.
      Blätter Berlin 3 (1): 39–47, Berlin