The objective of this study was to perform a citation analysis of the
frequency of the various languages used in the bibliographical referen
ces of the original articles published in the Wiener klinische Wochens
chrift during the past 75 years (1920-1995). The languages of publicat
ion were recorded of 14,667 references from 800 original papers, at th
e rate of 50 articles per year at intervals of five years. The percent
age of references in German remained constant until 1946, but has been
decreasing progressively since that time: 87% in 1920, 84% in 1946, 5
1% in 1970, and 20% in 1995. The percentage of references in English,
on the other hand, has continued to increase, especially since 1946: 3
% in 1920, 9% in 1946, 41% in 1970, and 79% in 1995. Even though the i
mportance of English started to increase as from 1946, it did not supp
lant German as the main language of medicine in Austria until 1980 (th
irty years later than usually accepted up to now).