[Forty years of anesthesiology in Germany]

Four decades of anaesthesiological development are a relatively short period in the 150 years of modern methods of pain relief. But looking at the very different development of this special field--now known as anaesthesiology--we see that precisely the last 40 years have brought enormous local, national and international progress in anaesthesiology. This is true of the content as well as the speed of development, organisation and reflection in society. In all this, the development in Germany differed from that in comparable neighbouring countries due to the special political conditions that existed. Seen from 40 years of professional experience--gained in the eastern part of Germany--the development of anaesthesiology is presented in four periods: 1958-1968: A common beginning and arbitrary division. 1968-1978: Separate developments during the "Cold War". 1978-1988: Change through rapprochement--the Bahr concept also in anaesthesiology? 1988-1998: Joint development after political change in 1989.