Dear Colleagues!

With great pleasure we invite you to attend the 68^th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery. The first German scientific meeting of surgeons, who had specialized in disorders of the nervous system, took place in Magdeburg in 1936. Scientific results have a universal significance beyond national boundaries. Thus, even in the early phase of neurosurgery, great emphasis was placed on the international exchange of ideas. The first international Joint Meeting of German neurosurgeons was organized with the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, who held their 22^nd annual meeting together with German colleagues in Berlin and Breslau in 1937. Over the years further Joint Meetings followed. Now with this much enjoyed tradition of 80 years the 7^th Joint Meeting of the British and German neurosurgical societies will take place in Magdeburg.

This interval from the early days of neurosurgery is an occasion to reflect, what progress has been achieved for the benefit of our patients and what we can learn to stimulate new insights in the future.

We very much look forward to this opportunity to share expertise, make new friends and renew old friendships.

Welcome to Magdeburg in 2017!

Prof. Dr. Raimund Firsching
Congress President