East European Specialist Literature

Alongside the launch of the TIB, the year 1959 also saw the founding of the Department of East European Languages (OSTA). Initially, it included both the East European and East Asian language areas. It was only at the start of the 1980s that two independent, regional departments were created: the East European Department and the East Asian Department. As a part of the TIB, the East European Department is responsible for collecting and making available the various types of literature and information formats, in particular the "grey" literature from all fields of applied and engineering sciences as well as the basic sciences on which these depend, namely mathematics, physics, chemistry and information technology which originate in Eastern Europe, regardless of the language in which they appear. This means that all the indigenous languages are covered, as well as German and English translations.
 
The TIB definition of Eastern Europe covers the former Communist block, i.e. the following countries: