Interdisciplinarity is an important aspect of modem science. A convincing example is pro vided by organometallic chemistry, a discipline at the interface of inorganic and organic chemistry. Over the last 20 years, organometallic chemistry has served as an inexhaustible source of new methods of ever increasing value to organic synthesis both in the laboratory and in large scale industrial plants using transition metal catalysts. In order to strengthen collaboration between inorganic and organic chemists the "Vokswagen-Stiftung" started a new program "Organic Synthesis via Organometallics" in 1986. This program grew up to more than 60 projects over a period of six years. In addi tion to its main topic organic synthesis it covered mechanistic and structural aspects of organometallic chemistry. Scientists participating in the program met with other experts from academia and industry in a series of five symposia held in Hamburg (February 1986), WUrzburg (October 1988), Marburg (July 1990) and Aachen (November 1992). The fifth and final symposium took place in Heidelberg from September 26 to 28, 1996."