[A short history of the Swiss Society of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation (SSAR)].

In common with most continental countries, anaesthesia in post-World War II Switzerland was clearly in arrears in comparison to the Anglo-American and Scandinavian countries. As early as in 1947, however, motivated young physicians left Switzerland for England, Scandinavia and the USA to familiarise themselves with the advances made in modern anaesthesia. In March, 1951, three of these pioneers, Ch. Bovay (Lausanne), W. Hügin (Basel), and K. Zeller (Winterthur), founded the Professional Association of Swiss Anaesthesiologists, thus preparing the ground for the Swiss Society of Anaesthesiology which was founded on July 5 th, 1952, on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Swiss Society of Surgery held in Zurich. Members of the first Executive Committee were Ch. Bovay, K. Zimmermann (Zurich), and W. Hügin. In 1963, the latter was appointed first Professor of Anaesthesiology in Switzerland by the University of Basel. Looking back, the 18 physicians involved in the foundation of the Society were indeed most courageous. This step towards independence is all the more admirable since the Swiss Society of Surgery, by founding a Section of Anaesthesiology, attempted to retain sovereignty over this small and new group of specialists. Only in 1954 anaesthesiology was recognised by the Swiss Medical Association as a medical specialty in its own right. In 1967 the name was changed to Swiss Society of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation (SSAR). Since coming into existence, the Society has grown more than 40-fold, with a total membership approaching 800 by 2002 end. In recent years, the SSAR took a particular interest in promoting both the training and CME of anaesthesiologists, in supporting research by its young members and in improving the quality and safety of anaesthesia.