member societies

Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Akustik - Germany
Prepared for Noise/News International, 1996 September

The German Acoustical Society, Deutsche Gesellschaft fu r Akustik (DEGA), was founded as recently as 1989. Prior to that date, a number of German societies, devoted to physics and the classical engineering disciplines, covered various aspects of the field of acoustics through their working groups. DEGA was formed as a non-profit scientific society to integrate the interests of German-speaking acousticians working in all the theoretical and applied sub-disciplines of acoustics. No organization exclusively devoted to acoustics existed in Germany prior to the formation of DEGA.

One of the purposes of DEGA is to organize the annual DAGA congress which is co-sponsored with several other German scientific and engineering societies. DAGA (Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinshaft fu r Akustik) is an acronym used for many years for the annual meeting. DAGA congresses have been held each year since 1970. Papers are presented in all areas of acoustics as well as inter-disciplinary topics in related fields.

In addition to promoting the field of acoustics, other objectives of DEGA are: to bring together members of the society to exchange information, to publish news of the society, to assist in the publication of Acustica/ Acta Acustica, the new publication of the European Acoustics Association (EAA) and Hirzel-Verlag, Stuttgart, to promote good relations with foreign societies having similar objectives, to give advice and support activities in research and development, education and professional advancement, and to support the work on national and international standards development in acoustics. DEGA supports other acoustical congresses, scientifically as well as financially. For example, the Ultrasonic World Congress that was held in 1995 September in Berlin. DEGA has a number of working groups:

building and room acoustics
electroacoustics
hearing research
underwater acoustics and geoacoustics
musical acoustics
ultrasound
speech
noise and vibration control
physical acoustics
education in acoustics
DEGA has a joint working group with laboratories responsible for testing and certification.

Everyone with an interest in acoustics is invited to become a member of DEGA. Students pay a reduced annual fee. Industrial firms are welcome as sustaining members. All members receive a reduced registration fee at the annual DAGA congress. All members receive Acustica/Acta Acustica six times per year free of charge.

DEGA is governed by a board consisting of the president, the vice president, the treasurer and three additional members of the board. In addition, the chairmen of the working groups and a number of representatives elected by the assembly of members constitute an advisory board.

DEGA uses the Society News section of Acustica/Acta Acustica to keep members informed of the activities of the society. The Society News department is supplemented by a newsletter published twice per year. DEGA also maintains a home page on the Internet where the latest news can be obtained. The URL is http://www.itap.physik.uni-oldenburg.de/dega.html.

The papers presented at the DAGA congresses are published in special series entitled Forschritte der Akustik.

An important activity of DEGA is the cooperation with and membership in the European Acoustics Association (EAA), thus supporting Forum Acusticum, the international convention of the EAA - held this year in Belgium, and being held as a joint meeting with the Acoustical Society of America in 1999 March in Berlin.

More information on DEGA activities may be obtained by contacting the Association at the address given NNI Directory which contains the link to this page.

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