Founded in 1967, the European Congress of Radiology was first held every four years in different locations. However, the idea of developing a new type of congress became more intensively discussed as the quadrennial basis and the ever changing location did not allow for the creation of a consistent group of experienced radiologists responsible for the preparation of the congress. Furthermore, the radiological community in Europe wanted to create a common platform for European radiologists.
In 1985, a committee chaired by Prof. Dr. Josef Lissner from Munich (Germany) was established to re-organise the Congress. They decided that it should take place every two years and that the location should not change. Vienna was soon selected, due to its geographical location in the heart of Europe. The society ‘Verein Europäischer Röntgenkongress’ (ECR) was founded, and a congress-organising institution was established at the Medical Academy of Vienna.
The first ‘new’ European Congress of Radiology was opened on Saturday, September 15, 1991 under the presidency of Prof. Dr. Lissner. It attracted more than 9,000 participants from around the world.
The two-year cycle of the congress was continued until 1999, when it was decided that the rapid development of the medical specialty of radiology required an annual meeting of Europe’s radiological community and all its partners.
The ESR has continued to develop and refine its congress ever since, turning it into the largest radiological meeting in Europe with more than 20,000 participants from around 100 countries and 4,000 scientific papers and exhibits. To answer growing demand, the ECR has developed advanced tools such as EPOS, an online electronic presentation system.
The next ECR will be held from March 1–5, 2012, in Vienna, Austria. For the first time, key sessions will be broadcast via a live webstream on the society's official website.
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