From September 17 to 21, 2023, MinWien2023—the joint conference of the Austrian Mineralogical Society (ÖMG), the Slovenian Mineralogical Society (SMS), and the German Mineralogical Society (DMG)—took place in Vienna. The conference was organized by the Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography at the University of Vienna, in part to honor Josef Zemann, who was an honorary member of the DMG and the University of Vienna and passed away at the end of last year at the age of 99 (see obituary in GMIT 90).

The presidents of the participating societies, Peter Bačik (SMS), Horst Marschall (DMG), and Vera Hammer (ÖMG) (Photo: R. Krickl)

MinWien focused on the broad spectrum of mineralogy and petrology, as well as related disciplines, ranging from basic to applied research. In addition to presentations in sessions on Mineralogy & Crystallography, Applied Mineralogy, Lithosphere & Geochemistry, and Mineralogy & Ore Deposits, there was also an open session featuring several presentations on topics such as Mineral History, Gemmology & Gemstones, and Mineral Teaching. Furthermore, various poster sessions took place over several days, showcasing diverse research in the field of geosciences. A reception at Vienna City Hall, a Young Scientists’ meeting, a tour of the faculty’s mineralogical collection, as well as excursions in the host country, Austria, and neighboring Slovenia rounded out the conference. A particular highlight was a public lecture by Frank Melcher (Leoben) on raw materials for the Green Deal, which addressed in detail current issues surrounding the supply of raw materials in Europe.

Participants at MinWien2023 (Photo: R. Krickl)

Once again this year, the DMG honored several researchers for their outstanding work. The 2022 Paul Ramdohr Prize was awarded to Eric Runge (Tübingen) and Marie Gentzmann (Berlin); the Beate Mocek Prize to Victoria Kohn (Vienna); the Abraham Gottlob Werner Medal to Thomas Oberthür (formerly BGR Hannover); the Agricola Medal to Claudia Weidenthaler (Mülheim/Ruhr); the Victor Moritz Goldschmidt Prize to Ben Walter; and the Doris Schachner Medal to Roland Stalder. Following the awards ceremony, the 2023 DMG General Assembly took place, chaired by Horst Marschall (Frankfurt/Main), the DMG’s president (see the minutes in this issue).

The DMG award winners together with the chair: from left to right, Claudia Weidenthaler, Horst Marschall (DMG Chair), Thomas Oberthür, Roland Stalder, Eric Runge, Benjamin Walter, and Victoria Kohn; Marie Gentzmann is absent. (Photo: M. Wildner)

Once again, MinWien demonstrated just how important these disciplines are for today’s society. It provided an outstanding opportunity to present new research findings, engage in constructive discussions about these and other results, establish new contacts, and launch new projects.

Fabio Joseph ∙ Munich