A first resolution to this end was at the Symposium on Phytosociological Systematics in Stolzenau in 1964. At the Prodromus-Colloquium of 1972 in Todenmann the first results were presented for discussion. The first concrete result was a very complete syntaxonomical bibliography as basis for finding and working up the phytosociological data which were widely scattered in the literature. The reason for this was primarily the absence of professional, paid specialists. There was certainly enough expertise, but it was with phytosociologists whose time was taken up with other projects.
Today there are both positive and negative signs for a new start.
However it appears that a synthesis today with help of EDV would be more promising than the routine handwork of 20 years ago. Nonetheless, the number of published syntaxa on all different levels, often in regional or national solo efforts, is scarcely viewable. A European synopsis must not only examine and bring together a giant data set, but must at the same time lead to a strongly reduced, viewable number of syntaxa which are applicable to the widest area and more strongly abstracted from regional idiosyncracies. Already the agreement on these basic issues must be viewed with skepticism. Despite these difficulties and misgivings a new beginning had to be attempted.