Gesellschaft für Informatik

The Gesellschaft für Informatik, commonly known as GI or the German Informatics Society, is a German professional and scientific association devoted to computer science and the broad field of informatics. Founded in Bonn on September 16, 1969, it developed from an organization initially oriented mainly toward academic researchers into a much broader professional body serving scientists, educators, students, technology practitioners, public institutions, and companies. It is widely described as the largest organized representation of computer science in the German-speaking world. GI's work combines professional representation, research communication, continuing education, public engagement, and policy discussion. Its technical structure is based on committees, special interest groups, and working groups covering a wide range of disciplines. These include theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, software engineering, human-computer interaction, databases, technical informatics, computer graphics and visualization, business informatics, legal and social dimensions of computing, computer science education, social computing, and information security. This structure allows the society to connect specialized research communities with wider professional and public debates about the opportunities and risks of digital technologies. The society's publishing and conference activities are central to its identity. GI publishes Informatik Spektrum as a major journal aimed at the wider informatics community and supports numerous additional publications associated with its specialist groups. Its publication program includes roughly forty regular periodicals and the Lecture Notes in Informatics series, which carries conference proceedings, research monographs, and summaries of doctoral research. The society sponsors or supports a substantial annual program of conferences and professional events, including the large INFORMATIK conference and specialist meetings such as Software Engineering, Mensch-Computer-Interaktion, Multikonferenz Wirtschaftsinformatik, BTW, and DIMVA. GI also operates as a professional-development and public-interest organization. Through regional groups, educational programs, awards, public statements, and policy work, it promotes the development of the informatics profession and seeks to improve public understanding of computing. Its Berlin office has organized lobbying and policy activities since 2013. Programs aimed at young people and women seek to broaden participation in informatics and encourage future study and careers in the field. The organization also maintains links with related professional societies, including the German chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Swiss Informatics Society, and the Gesellschaft für Informatik in der Land-, Forst- und Ernährungswirtschaft. GI has played a role in German and international computer science institutions. It joined the International Federation for Information Processing in 1983, taking over Germany's representative role from the Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Rechenanlagen, and joined the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies in 1989. In 1990 it contributed to establishing the International Conference and Research Center for Computer Science at Dagstuhl, subsequently known as the Leibniz Center for Informatics. Dagstuhl later became a prominent venue for international academic workshops. The association recognizes achievement through the biennial Konrad Zuse Medal, awards for doctoral research, computer science education, practical innovation, and student teams, and its Fellow distinction, introduced in 2002. With approximately 20,000 individual members and 250 corporate members according to the referenced encyclopedia material, GI remains an active institution at the intersection of research, education, professional practice, and technology policy.

The Gesellschaft für Informatik was established in Bonn on September 16, 1969, at a time when computer science was becoming recognized as an independent academic and professional discipline in Germany. Its early orientation was primarily scholarly, reflecting the importance of university research and the development of foundational informatics institutions. During the mid-1970s, GI broadened its remit to include computer science professionals beyond the research community. This expansion was reinforced in 1978 with the creation of Informatik Spektrum, a journal intended to communicate across the increasingly diverse informatics profession rather than address only a narrow academic audience. The society expanded its professional-development role in 1987 by founding the Deutsche Informatik-Akademie in Bonn. The academy was established to provide seminars and continuing education for computer science professionals, addressing the need for structured learning in a field characterized by rapid technical change. GI also strengthened its international institutional role during the 1980s. In 1983 it became a member of the International Federation for Information Processing and assumed responsibility for representing Germany within that federation from the Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Rechenanlagen. In 1989, GI joined the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies, linking it to wider European discussions about the profession and the development of information technology. In 1990, GI contributed to the creation of the International Conference and Research Center for Computer Science at Schloss Dagstuhl. The center was later renamed the Leibniz Center for Informatics and became an important international location for intensive academic workshops and collaboration. This involvement reflected GI's role not only as a membership organization but also as a participant in the institutional infrastructure of computer science research. From the late twentieth century onward, GI developed a large network of committees, specialist groups, and working groups. Their subjects range from theory, artificial intelligence, databases, and software engineering to human-computer interaction, business informatics, security, legal questions, education, and social computing. The society's conference portfolio grew alongside these communities. Its INFORMATIK conference became one of the largest broad-based informatics meetings in the German-speaking region, while specialist events developed strong reputations in particular research and professional fields. The biennial BTW conference, focused on database systems for business, technology, and the web, began in Karlsruhe in 1985 with 320 participants. It subsequently rotated among German and Swiss universities and became a leading conference for database and information systems communities in the German-speaking area. Other established events include meetings in software engineering, human-computer interaction, business informatics, and the DIMVA conference on intrusion detection, malware, and vulnerability assessment. GI's public role also expanded. It operates regional groups, including activities coordinated with the German chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, and has supported programs encouraging young people and women to enter informatics. Since 2013, its Berlin office has provided a base for lobbying and policy work. These activities reflect a broader understanding of the society's mission: to represent professional interests while helping the public evaluate the benefits, limitations, and risks of digital technologies. Recognition and community-building have remained important. GI awards the Konrad Zuse Medal every two years to an outstanding German computer science researcher and presents prizes for doctoral work, teaching, practical innovation, and student competition teams. Since 2002, selected members have been named GI Fellows, the society's highest membership category. Through these honors, publications, conferences, education programs, and policy engagement, GI has developed into a broad professional and scientific institution with a central role in German informatics.

• 2013

  Berlin policy office activities

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  GI's Berlin office began organizing lobbying and policy activities related to informatics and digital technology.

• 2002

  GI Fellow program introduced

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society began electing a limited number of members annually as Fellows, its highest membership category.

• 1990

  Contributed to the Dagstuhl computer science center

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  GI helped establish the International Conference and Research Center for Computer Science, later renamed the Leibniz Center for Informatics.

• 1989

  Joined the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  GI joined the European association representing professional informatics societies.

• 1987

  Deutsche Informatik-Akademie founded

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  GI founded the Deutsche Informatik-Akademie in Bonn to provide seminars and continuing education for computer science professionals.

• 1985

  First BTW conference

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The database systems conference BTW began in Karlsruhe with 320 participants.

• 1983

  Joined the International Federation for Information Processing

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  GI joined IFIP and assumed Germany's representative role from the Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Rechenanlagen.

• 1978

  Informatik Spektrum established

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  GI founded Informatik Spektrum to communicate computer science developments to a broader professional audience.

• 1969

  Gesellschaft für Informatik founded

  [1]German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society was founded in Bonn on September 16, initially with a primary focus on computer science researchers.

Professional and scientific society representing computer science and informatics in Germany and the wider German-speaking community.

• Journal · 1978

  Informatik Spektrum

  Informatik Spektrum is GI's principal broad-audience journal. Established in 1978, it was intended to reach beyond academic researchers and provide communication across the computer science profession. It addresses developments, debates, and professional issues in informatics and serves as one of the society's most visible publishing activities.

• Publication series

  Lecture Notes in Informatics

  Lecture Notes in Informatics is GI's book and proceedings series. It publishes materials associated with the society's conferences, along with doctoral thesis abstracts and research monographs. The series provides a formal record of research and professional exchange across GI's specialist communities.

• Conference

  INFORMATIK

  INFORMATIK is GI's broad-based major conference, organized in cooperation with universities and hosted at changing locations. It brings together workshops, keynote sessions, and specialist meetings addressing current challenges in information technology and computer science, with attendance described in the reference material as exceeding 1,000 participants.

• Database systems conference · 1985

  BTW

  BTW, the conference on database systems for business, technology, and the web, is organized by GI's database and information systems community. It combines research and industrial programs, paper presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and awards. The biennial series began in 1985 and is primarily oriented toward German-speaking research and professional communities while operating as an international conference.

• Cybersecurity conference

  DIMVA

  DIMVA focuses on the detection of intrusions and malware and on vulnerability assessment. It provides a recurring forum for research and professional discussion about attacks against computing systems, malware analysis, and methods for identifying and assessing vulnerabilities.

• Continuing education · 1987

  Deutsche Informatik-Akademie

  Founded by GI in Bonn in 1987, the Deutsche Informatik-Akademie provides seminars and continuing education for computer science professionals. Its purpose is to support professional development in a field where methods, technologies, and occupational requirements change rapidly.

1. 1German Informatics Societyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Gesellschaft für Informatik official websitegi.de