In 2010, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) celebrates its 20th anniversary. Since its foundation, the ERS has generated an impressive reputation and history of which our relatively young Society can be proud.
The “genesis” of the ERS was the merger of two European scientific societies: the Societas Europaea Physiologiae Clinicae Respoiratoriae (SEPCR), founded in 1966, and the European Society of Pneumology (SEP), founded in 1981. The merge took place in London in 1990 during the joint meeting of SEPCR and SEP; the late Stewart Clark was the President of the unified Society. This unification brought together the basic scientists of SEPCR with the clinicians of SEP in a harmonious relationship, and is considered the driving force behind the successful story of the ERS. The structure of the new Society was based on the scientific assemblies of SEPCR with the addition of a new, large clinical assembly from SEP. Those who envisioned and took part in the merge should not only be gratified by the ERS’s achievements over the last 20 years, they should also be extremely proud of its standing as one of the leading respiratory societies in the world.
In the initial years, the ERS leadership focused its efforts on building the structure of the Society, developing its missions and objectives, recruiting the appropriate staff, and establishing the ERS Headquarters. The first ERS office (in 1992) was a small flat in Paris (France) and was run by a few staff members. Within a few years, the office had moved to larger premises in Lausanne (Switzerland). Today, the ERS owns two beautiful buildings: the Headquarters, in Lausanne; and the Publications Office, in Sheffield (UK). In addition, the ERS runs an EU office in Brussels (Belgium).
Thanks to the efforts of the ERS’s inspired leadership, the Annual Congress became one of …
