▁K ran z berg , ▁the ▁History ▁of ▁Technology , ▁a ▁new ▁discipline ▁not ▁yet ▁bur den ed ▁with ▁ide ological ▁or ▁political ▁fre ight ▁as ▁were ▁other ▁branches ▁of ▁history , ▁was ▁an ▁ideal ▁ar ena ▁where ▁sch ol ars ▁from ▁East ▁and ▁West ▁could ▁find ▁common ▁ground . ▁K ran z berg ▁was ▁supported ▁in ▁this ▁effort ▁by ▁Maurice ▁Da um as ▁from ▁France , ▁Eug ene ▁O ls zew ski ▁from ▁Poland , ▁and ▁S . J . ▁Sch uch ard ine ▁from ▁the ▁USS R , ▁among ▁others . ▁For ▁the ▁past ▁several ▁dec ades , ▁I CO HT EC ' s ▁principal ▁activity ▁has ▁been ▁an ▁annual ▁meeting , ▁ ▁where ▁sch ol ars ▁from ▁many ▁countries ▁and ▁from ▁many ▁disc lip ines ▁gather ▁and ▁share ▁their ▁work . ▁Pap ers ▁presented ▁at ▁the ▁meet ings ▁are ▁usually ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Committee ' s ▁annual ▁journal ▁I CON . ▁ ▁K ran z berg ’ s ▁vision ▁was ▁largely ▁ful filled ▁in ▁the ▁meet ings ▁that ▁followed , ▁although ▁ex changes ▁among ▁sch ol ars ▁were ▁not ▁always ▁harm on ious . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁the ▁break up ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁that ▁followed , ▁I CO HT EC ▁lost ▁its ▁original ▁reason ▁for ▁being . ▁But ▁it ▁has ▁th riv ed ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁years ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁active ▁international ▁membership ▁and ▁hold ▁well - att ended ▁and ▁intellect ually