On the occasion of the 80th birthday of Dr. Dr. Herbert Falk an international symposium was held in Freiburg, Germany, on 16-17 October 2004. The aim of the meeting was to look back, to assess progress made and to look forward speculating on the development of the field of gastroenterology and hepatology.


The symposium was divided into four parts: oesophagus and stomach, liver, pancreaticobiliary tract, and small/large bowel. Internationally renowned speakers contributed to the symposium, many of them also contributed to this book. The organizers of the symposium hope that this volume will maintain the memory of a remarkable meeting in honour of an even more remarkable person.