History began with the meeting of 8 April 1968 at the Leiden Observatory. Everything that happened before that date can be considered as pre-history. It is essential to understand the pre-history to make sense of the history, but it is not easy to describe. This is because it consists of unrecorded discussions of individuals in small groups, feelings concerning whether ones papers are being read, etc. And all this must be put in the context of a rapidly expanding European astronomical community with an outdated publication structure.

Astronomy & Astrophysics is an international Journal which publishes papers on all aspects of astronomy and astrophysics (theoretical, observational, and instrumental) independently of the techniques used to obtain the results.Astronomy & Astrophysics is a journal established through the amalgamation of various national journals. New Member-Countries can be admitted upon fulfilling certain criteria.In the early 1960′s European publication was splintered. In the best cases each country had its own publication(s); this was sometimes also true of smaller countries.

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