Austrian Society for Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine

The Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anaesthesiologie, Reanimation und Intensivmedizin (ÖGARI) — in English the Austrian Society for Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine — is Austria's national medical specialty society dedicated to the field of anaesthesiology and its allied disciplines. It is a non-profit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) headquartered in Vienna whose activities extend across the whole of Austria. Its stated mission is to promote the training, continuing education and research work of its members and thereby to optimise the care of the general public in this field. The society is organised around five pillars: anaesthesiology, intensive care medicine, emergency medicine, pain therapy and palliative medicine. Within the society there are sections, platforms, forums as well as research and working groups (ARGE) that address these areas. ÖGARI is engaged in the international umbrella organisations WFSA (World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists) and ESA (European Society of Anaesthesiology). ÖGARI was founded in 1951 on the initiative of Otto Mayrhofer as the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie, initially with 40 members; by 2001 it had grown to roughly 1,250 members, and in 2018 it counted more than 1,600 ordinary members. The society prepared the first Austrian specialist congress for anaesthesiology, which took place in 1952. Supporting young physicians during their training in the specialty is also part of the association's activity. A central activity is the annual congress. The AIC (Anästhesie Intensivmedizin Congress) is the society's annual meeting; the AIC 2026 is scheduled for 19–21 November 2026 at the Congress Centre Villach under the motto "Effizienz trifft Exzellenz – Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt" ("Efficiency meets excellence – the human being at the centre"). The congress includes a call for abstracts with prizes awarded by ÖGARI in categories such as prospective clinical studies, retrospective data analyses and surveys, and animal-experimental, translational and technology-based innovation designs, with case reports assessed separately. The society also awards ÖGARI media prizes and organises press conferences on topics such as emergency medicine and young anaesthesia. As of August 2024 the board included President Michael Zink (St. Veit an der Glan), Past President Christoph Hörmann (St. Pölten), deputies for intensive care (Eva Schaden, Vienna) and anaesthesiology (Johann Knotzer, Wels; Burkhard Gustorff, Vienna), section heads for emergency medicine (Helmut Trimmel, Wiener Neustadt) and pain medicine (Rudolf Likar, Klagenfurt), treasurer Achim von Goedecke (Steyr), secretary Reinhard Germann (Feldkirch), federal specialty group chairman Herbert Koinig (Krems), and a number of co-opted board members. The society's seat is in Vienna.

The Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anaesthesiologie, Reanimation und Intensivmedizin (ÖGARI) was founded in 1951 on the initiative of Otto Mayrhofer as the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie. At its founding it had 40 members. The society prepared the first Austrian specialist congress for anaesthesiology, which took place in 1952 — an early sign of its role in building the specialty's scientific community in Austria. Over the following decades the society grew steadily. By 2001 it counted approximately 1,250 members, and by 2018 it had more than 1,600 ordinary members. Its name evolved to reflect the broadening scope of the specialty, adding resuscitation and intensive care medicine to the original focus on anaesthesiology; the society now describes its work through five pillars: anaesthesiology, intensive care medicine, emergency medicine, pain therapy and palliative medicine. ÖGARI is a non-profit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) with its seat in Vienna and a field of activity covering all of Austria. It promotes the regular training and continuing education of its members as well as their research work, and it supports young physicians during their training in the specialty. Within the society there are sections, platforms, forums, and research and working groups (ARGE). The society is also engaged in the international umbrella organisations WFSA (World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists) and ESA (European Society of Anaesthesiology). A central recurring activity is the annual congress. The AIC (Anästhesie Intensivmedizin Congress) serves as the society's annual meeting, combining scientific sessions, poster sessions and abstract prizes. The AIC 2026 is scheduled for 19–21 November 2026 at the Congress Centre Villach under the motto 'Effizienz trifft Exzellenz – Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt'. The congress programme includes a call for abstracts, with ÖGARI prizes awarded in categories such as prospective clinical studies (interventional and non-interventional), retrospective data analyses and surveys, and animal-experimental, translational and technology-based innovation designs; case reports are assessed separately and the best case report is also awarded. The society also awards ÖGARI media prizes and organises press conferences, for example on emergency medicine and on young anaesthesia. Leadership has rotated among Austrian anaesthesiologists. As of August 2024 the board comprised President Michael Zink (St. Veit an der Glan), Past President Christoph Hörmann (St. Pölten), deputies for intensive care medicine (Eva Schaden, Vienna) and anaesthesiology (Johann Knotzer, Wels; Burkhard Gustorff, Vienna), section heads for emergency medicine (Helmut Trimmel, Wiener Neustadt) and pain medicine (Rudolf Likar, Klagenfurt), treasurer Achim von Goedecke (Steyr), secretary Reinhard Germann (Feldkirch), federal specialty group chairman Herbert Koinig (Krems), and co-opted board members including Anna Bartunek, Astrid Chiari, Claus-Georg Krenn, Markus Köstenberger, Peter Paal, Rebana Scherzer, Anette Severing, Dietmar Fries, Paul Köglberger, Stefan Palma, Barbara Sinner and Robert Planko. The position of President elect was vacant at that time.

• 2026

  AIC 2026 annual congress scheduled for 19–21 November 2026 at the Congress Centre Villach.

• 2018

  The association counts more than 1,600 ordinary members.

• 2001

  Membership reaches approximately 1,250.

• 1952

  The first Austrian specialist congress for anaesthesiology, prepared by the society, takes place.

• 1951

  Founded on the initiative of Otto Mayrhofer as the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie with 40 members.

Austria's national non-profit specialty society for anaesthesiology and its allied disciplines, promoting education, research and public care quality.

• AIC annual congress

  The society's annual meeting, combining scientific sessions, poster sessions and abstract prizes.

• ÖGARI abstract prizes

  Prizes awarded in categories including prospective clinical studies, retrospective data analyses and surveys, and animal-experimental, translational and technology-based innovation designs, with a separate award for the best case report.

• ÖGARI media prizes

  Media prizes awarded by the society.

• Sections, platforms, forums and ARGE

  Specialty sections, platforms, forums as well as research and working groups within the society.

1. 1ÖGARI official websiteoegari.at
2. 2Wikidata: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anaesthesiologie, Reanimation und Intensivmedizinwikidata.org
3. 3Wikipedia (German): Österreichische Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie, Reanimation und Intensivmedizinde.wikipedia.org