Jost, J.
This is the first of two special issues that Theory in Biosciences is dedicating to the memory of Olaf Breidbach, its long time editor who had transformed the traditional “Biologisches Zentralblatt” into the modern “Theory in Biosciences”, a journal dedicated to the theoretical, conceptual and historical aspects of biology in its broadest sense. Olaf Breidbach had passed away prematurely in July 2014 at the age of 56. Several obituaries have been published, like (Bach 2014a, b; Jost 2014b), including one in this journal (Jost 2014a). The articles in this issue, as well as in the second one which will appear in 2017, have been contributed by his colleages and friends. The wide range of topics treated in those contributions reflects the immense scope of the intellectual interests of Olaf Breidbach as well as the respect and admiration that he has enjoyed among scientists from many different scientific disciplines. In fact, biology has only been one amongst a great variety of research topics of Olaf Breidbach. He was not only an accomplished biologist with highly original, deep, and penetrating contributions, but also one of the most eminent and prolific historians of science, an insightful philosopher, a theoretician of art, a complex systems thinker with unorthodox views and novel perspectives, and in general a widely respected intellectual, as described in detail in the obituaries cited above. This journal, due to its nature and scope, can only publish articles of biological relevance, but the two special issues dedicated to his memory can hopefully, nevertheless, provide a good indication of the impressive intellectual depth and range of Olaf Breidbach.