This book, entitled The Properties of Optical Glass, is one of a series reporting on research and development activities on products and processes conducted by the Schott Group. The scientifically founded development of new products and technical processes has traditionally been of vital importance at Schott and has always been per­ formed on a scale determined by the prospects for application of our special glasses. The scale has increased enormously since the reconstruction of the Schott Glaswerke in Mainz. The range of expert knowledge required for that could never have been supplied by Schott alone. It is also a tradition in our company to cultivate collaboration with customers, universities, and research institutes. Publications in numerous technical journals, which since 1969 we have edited to a regular timeplan as Forschungsberichte - 'research reports' - formed the basis of this cooperation. They contain up-to-date information on the most var­ ious topics for the expert but are not suited as survey material for those whose standpoint is more remote. This is the point where we would like to place our series, to stimulate the exchange of thoughts, so that we can consider from different points of view the possibilities offered by those incredibly versatile materials, glass and glass ceramics. We would like to show scientists and engineers, interested customers, and friends and employees of our firm the knowledge that has been won through our research and development at Schott in cooperation with the users of our materials.