¦ FAREWELL
This is the last issue of our journal.
When we started this publication in 1993, we set out to prove a point. We strove to demonstrate that one can publish an international journal for logotherapy and existential analysis in compliance with the stringent rules of academic editorship - meaning that contributions are to be selected with methodical strictness and reviewed by experts from the respective fields.
The particular challenge here has been the extraordinary diversity of scientific subjects spanned by the conceptual system of logotherapy. There are, first of all, the "core" fields of medicine/psychiatry, philosophy, and psychology; but the various helping professions from gerontology to social work - as well as pedagogy and theology - all belong to the circle of adjacent, and intersecting, fields.
But we did succeed in obtaining the cooperation of specialists in all of these fields, who lent their support by carefully screening the submitted manuscripts. Thanks to their assistance - and the assistance provided by the authors of 110 published papers - we have achieved our aim and the point is proved.
The contributions to this final issue exemplify again the huge range of topics which is characteristic of the journal, its authors and its readers. We find here theoretical essays on the role of humour in human life and in psychotherapy; experimental investigations on cross-cultural differences in finding meaning in life; practical suggestions on how to deal with persons at risk for suicide; and procedures to help the learning disabled. Parallels and differences between logotherapeutic concepts and the tenets of eastern religions are analysed, and the metaphysical ideas contained in the works of Frankl and Jung are compared.
END AND NEW BEGINNING
Eventually, the work load of editing the journal exceeded the strength of our small team. External duties demanded our attention, and even the professional and friendly support by the Vienna University Publishers did not suffice to keep us going.
Part of the time we recover will be used to regularly update regularly our Internet-Homepage. At least for reports and announcements the fast medium of "the web" is better suited than a periodical; however, occasionally we also will include short scientific texts, or abstracts. Incidentally, as of November 1998 we have a more concise web address than before:
http://logotherapy.univie.ac.at
A project we hope to realize with support by the City of Vienna or other sponsors is the creation of an
Internet archive, providing world wide access to scientific and biographical documentation on Viktor Frankl.
Also by Internet we have for some time now been offering a bibliographical list
which may be searched, using keywords, for specific topics. We would like to keep up this important service, and our continuing request to all of you is this:
> If you or any of your collaborators and colleagues have completed a publication that should be included in the list, please send us the full citation - preferably via electronic mail.
The media archive of our institute is comrised of a large number of audio and video recordings by Viktor Frankl. Saving these onto modern media is one of the main tasks of our team. A selection of recordings in German are being distributed by the cassette publisher "Audiotorium". There are talks now about a similar arrangement with an American publisher for English language recordings.
Last but not least we will be able to attend more closely to the Viktor Frankl Memorial Lectures,
a regular semiannual lecture series that is co-organised by us at the University of Vienna. The program of forthcoming courses will be announced in advance on our web page.
THANKS
First of all we wish to say thanks to our authors who, with their profound, original and readable contributions, have "made" the journal. We are especially obliged to the authors of the very first issues, who entrusted their manuscripts to a newly founded periodical. And then the referees from the various disciplines: without their support and advice this journal would not have been possible. Finally, we wish to say thanks once more to all those who have provided financial support for the publication.
To you, our readers, we offer heartfelt thanks for your constant interest. At the same time we ask your understanding for our decision. We hope that you will miss the journal if only a little, and we hope also that you will not lose contact with us.
With kind regards
and all good wishes,
Franz Vesely
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