History of the DOG
At the beginning of October 1850, the “German Ornithologists’ Society” (DOG) was founded in Leipzig. The DOG’s central publication, today’s “Journal of Ornithology,” is the oldest ornithological journal in the world.
Founding Era
The founding fathers of the DOG were physicians, teachers, pastors, or landowners with an interest in natural history. As very serious amateurs, they pursued ornithology to a high standard. There were hardly any full-time scientists; only later was appropriate staff hired at the emerging natural history museums. The first journals appeared through private initiative and remained for a long time in the personal possession of their editors. After settling on “Journal” as the title of the publication, the DOG developed throughout the entire German-speaking world into the central ornithological scientific community.
From Leipzig to Berlin
From around 1900 onward, museum staff and university members increasingly take on more and more tasks in the DOG, which also becomes closely tied in personnel terms to the Berlin Museum of Natural History. Many fundamental works on the bird life of Germany and Central Europe are published up to the Second World War. Through its connection to the Berlin Museum of Natural History, the DOG also gains international recognition. The rule of National Socialism and the Second World War bring a profound turning point. In the DOG as well, many lives, plans, and projects are destroyed, and valuable writings and collections are lost. In the years around the end of the war, meetings cease to take place, and the journal is not published.
Division and Reunification
In the postwar period, the DOG resumed its activities. At the latest since the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, working together under one roof became difficult. Joint conferences were discontinued and exchange suffered considerably. After German reunification, the DOG grew back together. The journal’s reputation expanded significantly when the journal became English-language in 2004. Despite the internet and social media, the DOG’s most important meeting place remains its highly attended annual conferences, which are held in a different city each year. For many years now, the DOG membership has been getting younger—and more female. In this anniversary year, it is certainly no coincidence that a woman has taken over the chairmanship of the DOG for the first time.