The IUTAM-Symposium on "Finite Inelastic Deformations - Theory and Applications" took place from August 19 to 23, 1991, at the University of Hannover, Germany, with 75 participants from 14 countries. Scope of the symposium was a fundamental treatment of new developments in plasticity and visco-plasticity at finite strains. This covered the phenomenological material theory based on continuum mechanics as well as the treatment of microstructural phenomena detected by precise experimental datas. In a restricted number, lectures on new experi­ mental facilities for measuring finite strains were also implemented into the symposium. Another important topic of the symposium was the treatment of reliable and effective computational methods for solving engineering problems with finite inelastic strains. Wi­ thin this context it was an essential feature that theory, numerical and computational analysis were be seen in an integrated way. In total 9 sessions with 37 lectures, many of them given by well known keynote-lecturers, and a poster session with 10 contributions met fully our expectations of a high ranking up-to-date forum for the interaction of four topics, namely the physical and mathematical modelling of finite strain inelastic deformations including localizations and damage as well as the achievements in the numerical analysis and implementation and the solution of complicated engineering systems. Special and important features were reliable material datas from macroscopic and microscopic tests as well as test results of complex engineering problems, like deep drawing and extrusion.