Introduction: Guest Editor Foreword : With "Words of Welcome" by Peter Liggesmeyer, Anders Ynnerman, Bob Hopgood, David Duce, Andries van Dam, James D. Foley, Henry Fuchs, José Luis Encarnação

Computer Graphics - today this is a well-established field in science and technology. It offers leading-edge functionality to provide a level of flexibility, adaptability and re-usability not possible even a few years ago. It is an indispensible part of our daily life ,the Internet revolution would not have been possible without easy to use interfaces of smartphones and tablets. It is hard to believe, that only about 40 years ago, Computer Graphics evolved as a selfstanding discipline. Technische Universität Darmstadt formed the nucleus of Computer Graphics in Germany by establishing a professorship for "Graphische Datenverarbeitung (GRIS)" in 1975.This special issue is dedicated to 40 Years of Computer Graphics in Darmstadt, its foundation, growth and establishment in research, technology, and a broad range of application fields. It consists of a survey of 40 Years of Computer Graphics in Darmstadt, scientific papers from GRIS alumni and Words of Welcome from pioneers of computer graphics standing in long time connection with Darmstadt