(*) Mientras estábamos confeccionando este número nos llegaron las noticias de los fallecimientos de nuestros compañeros Julio Escalona y Francisco Mampaso. La SEAP ha hecho llegar sus condolencias a las familias. En el próximo número publicaremos las reseñas por la memoria de nuestros compañeros.

Hans-Juergen Soost, former head of the Institute of Clinical Cytology, Technical University of Munich, died on Feb. 22nd with 85. He was among the pioneers of cytology, Fellow of the International Academy of Cytology, awardee of the Maurice Goldblatt award and was host of the 1980 International Congress of Cytology in Munich. Soost, born in Danzig, was in the war generation and finished his medical training just before the war ended. After the war, he practised medicine in northern Germany and has been working in the pharmaceutical industry.

During this time he wrote his first Textbook and Atlas on Gynecological Cytology together with Horst Smolka. His great renown as a book author gave him the opportunity to get a staff position in the Woman´s Hospital of the University of Munich, where he was active in cytological diagnostics, science and also as a clinician in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In this time, he founded the Cytological Institute of the Bavararian Cancer Society and the Munich Cytology School.

In 1971, he became professor of Clinical Cytology and director of the Institute ot Clinical Cytology at the Technical University of Munich. During the following years he edited the first German text book of the complete field of Clinical Cytology that became for many years the standard textbook for both cytopathologists and cytotechnologists. New editions of this Textbook and Atlas of Gynecologic Cytology followed and were translated into several languages.

Major scientific topics of the Munich Institute were gynecolological cytology and fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology including cytology of breast, thyroid, prostate. Special topics were automation in gynecologic cytology, thin layer cytology and evidence based approaches to cytological screening.

He also founded the Munich Postgraduate Courses on Cytology, which have been organised in close cooperation with the International Academy of Cytology. Due to his teaching and lecturing activities and the work in international organisations like the International Academy of Cytology or the European Federation of Cytology Societies he was active far beyond the borders of Germany and kept contacts with cytologists all over the world. Due to his constant, quiet and thoughtful work, always looking for the best available evidence, he made a crucial input to shape Cytology and cervical cancer screening in Germany.

After his retirement he focussed on his interests in art and culture and especially enjoyed cultural activities in Munich. Those who have been in contact with him or read his books and other contributions miss him.

Prof. Ulrich Schenk
Technical University of Munich

Prof. J.M. Rivera Pomar
Universidad del País Vasco/EHU