The Fifteenth Meeting of the PIAC

The fifteenth meeting of the PIAC was held in Strebersdorf near Vienna, from August 7 to 11, 1972, under the presidency of Professor Karl Jahn, and under the auspices of the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. The central topic of the meeting was “Peace and War in the Altaic World.” It is expected that the papers read will be published in the Central Asiatic Journal.

At the Business Meeting held on August 9:

1. Professor Denis Sinor was re-elected Secretary-General of the PIAC for a period of five years.
2. On a motion from Dr. Ane Nauta (Holland) it was decided that invitations for future meetings of the PIAC should be sent out under the President’s and the Secretary-General‘s name by the central Office of the PIAC. The decision was made to facilitate the keeping of records.
3. The Indiana University Prize for Altaic Studies (the “PIAC Medal”) was awarded to Professor V. I. Cincius.
4. The following resolutions were passed unanimously:

• a. “Unser verbindlichster Dank gebührt vor allem der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, die unser XV. Meeting der PIAC unter ihren hohen Schutz zu nehmen geruhte. Im besonderen fühlen wir uns ihrem Generalsekretär, Herrn Univ. Prof. Dr. Manfred Mayrhofer, sowie ihrem wirklichen Mitglied, Herrn Univ. Prof. Dr. Robert Göbl, aufrichtig verbunden, wovon letzterer die grosse Güte hatte, uns bei der Besichtigung des Schatzes von Nagyszentmiklös sachkundigst zu führen und über seine Bedeutung aufschlussreichst zu beraten. Auch der grossen Verdienste, die sich Frau Doktor Ludmilla Krestan, wissenschaftlicher Oberrat der Akademie, um das Zustandekommen der Tagung erworben hatte, sei herzlichst gedankt.
  “Unser ergebenster Dank richtet sich ebenfalls an den Herrn Bürgermeister der Stadt Wien, Herrn Felix Slavik, der die grosse Freundlichkeit hatte, die Teilnehmer unserer Konferenz zu einem Mittagessen im Wiener Rathauskeller einzuladen, sowie dem Kulturamt der Stadt Wien, welches in liebenswürdiger Weise für die Beistellung von Reiseautobussen sorgte.
  “Last but not least gedenken wir auch in grosser Dankbarkeit der besonders gastfreundlichen Aufnahme, die wir im Studentenheim der Erzdiözese Wien in Strebersdorf erfahren haben, und der treuen Fürsorglichkeit des Verwalters, Bruder Hubert Wielander, der mit seinen Helfern unseren Aufenthalt harmonisch und unvergesslich gestaltete.”
• b. “The PIAC meeting for its fifteenth session at Strebersorf, Vienna, wishes to express to Professor and Mrs. Karl Jahn its most sincere thanks for the admirable arrangements they have made to facilitate the scientific work of the Conference and the material comfort of its members. Their kindness and good humor contributed in no small measure to the success of the meeting.”

All who participated at this fifteenth meeting would agree that it was a delightful occasion. Well attended–about fifty to sixty participants—it was small enough not to qualify as a “congress.” The meeting at which individual work-reports (the so-called “confessions”) were given was particularly informative.

It was heartening to see that, besides old friends, many new faces appeared at this meeting. While we missed Japanese participation, we were glad to welcome new members from the Soviet Union and three colleagues from the Republic of China. Even American participation was stronger than usual. The reception and luncheon given by the Bürgermeister of Vienna, the visit of the treasure of Nagyszentmiklós were, no doubt, the “official” highlights of the meeting. Yet, it could probably be said, that the delightful evenings spent in the Heurigem—with which Strebersdorf is singularly well provided—solved more Altaistic problems than many articles, and contributed greatly to the strengthening of old and the establishment of new friendships.

Since our meeting, Professor Jahn has retired from his professorship in Leiden and has taken up residence in Vienna. The PIAC wishes him—who has twice presided over its meetings—many happy years of scholarly work, undisturbed by administrative duties.

(Source: Permanent International Altaistic Conference Newsletter  No. 8, June 1973, pp. 2–3)