In September 1983 the First International Headache Congress took place, the founding congress of the International Headache Society (lHS). This meeting was attended by around 200 headache specialists from some 20 countries. One of the principal goals of the IHS, which was formed in London in 1982, is to promote and stimulate interest and research in the headache field. In addition to the sponsorship of continued-education events, this also involves the coordination of scientific pro jects and the organization of future conferences. There is no doubt that headaches represent an everyday problem in medical practice. When the first headache clinics were established some years ago, they were regarded as very progressive. Today there are special outpatient centers and clinics for headache patients. However, this specialization has certainly not progressed very far. The fact is that differential diagnosis and treatment of recurrent and chron ic headaches represents a broad field that cuts across many disciplines. Headaches are thus relevant not only to the neurologist, but also to the psychiatrist, the neuro surgeon, the internist, the endocrinologist, the psychologist, the pharmacologist, and the biochemist. Despite intensive research in numerous and very disparate medical disciplines there are still no generally accepted pathophysiologic concepts for many headache syndromes. Realizing the importance of a multidisciplinary fo rum, the IHS assumed the organization of this congress in collaboration with the German Migraine Society."