Editorial: 40 years Crystal Research and Technology
Authors: Neumann W. , Benz K.‐W. 
Published: December 2005

Our journal, “Crystal Research and Technology” , will celebrate a jubilee this year – its 40th anniversary. On the one hand, this milestone gives us a good opportunity to remember the early days of the journal, and on the other hand it allows us to reflect on future developments.

The journal was founded as “Kristall und Technik” by Professors Will Kleber and Hermann Neels in 1966 at a time when the eastern part of Germany was effectively isolated from the West as a result of the Cold War. Since 1953, Prof Will Kleber (1906 – 1970) has been the director of the Institute for Mineralogy of the Humboldt University of Berlin. Under his directorship, this institute was transformed into a modern institute for crystallographic research at the Humboldt University. Prof Hermann Neels (1913 – 2002) acted as the director of the Institute of Mineralogy at the University of Leipzig until his retirement in 1978. The Kleber institute of the Humboldt University in Berlin and the Neels institute in Leipzig were individual centres of crystallography in the former GDR. Therefore, it was a logical consequence that the scientific leaders of these centres were the first editors of “Kristall und Technik” . The tremendous demands associated with editing a journal were taken on solely by Hermann Neels after the unexpected early death of Will Kleber in 1970. Since that time, Prof Neels continued to serve as the Editor‐in‐Chief until 1996.

The founders of the journal adhered strictly to the principle of unity of basic and applied research, while including industrial applications. Therefore, the foundation of a journal of experimental and industrial crystallography, which sought to close the gap between the already‐existing international journals of crystallography, was the logical consequence. The first issue of “Kristall und Technik” (subtitle: Zeitschrift für experimentelle und technische Kristallographie) contained 19 original papers (18 written in German, one in Russian) and one short note. After some years, the transformation from a German journal to an international one was inevitable. The cover of the earlier issues displayed the name of the journal in German and English. Starting in 1981 the transformation to “Crystal Research and Technology” as a fully international journal was performed.

A great number of members of the Editorial Board as well as of the Advisory Board have accompanied and supported the editors during the four decades of Editorship.

In the first preface of “Kristall und Technik” , the editors claimed that a journal of experimental and technical crystallography should find a vibrant response. This claim is more true now than ever before. The intent of “Crystal Research and Technology” is to examine the main aspects of experimental and industrial crystallography. The preferential consideration of these aspects does not exclude theoretical crystallography as a basis for a thorough understanding of practical crystallography.

Nowadays, our journal covers the relevant aspects of modern crystal growth phenomena. The main field of preparation and characterisation of advanced crystalline materials, e.g., smart materials, artificial and natural nano‐structured materials like semiconductor quantum structures and nano‐tubes, will also be published in “Crystal Research and Technology” . Particular emphasis is given to the large field of industrial crystallisation. A major part of the contribution submitted is directly related to the application of modern crystalline materials in materials science, optics and electronics. New developments in crystal growth, including the field of biological crystallography, will also be covered. All in all, “Crystal Research and Technology” takes into consideration the actual developments in the field of crystallographic research.

The future of our journal will find its place in fully electronic publishing. Thus, the information exchange between the editors, the referees and the authors will be easier and faster.

We encourage all readers to submit novel and original contributions in the various fields of crystallographic research and thus contribute to providing the building blocks for a successful international crystallographic journal. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)