Since its founding year the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach has invited mathematicians to give them a chance to exchange knowledge with their colleagues. From 1944 to the present day mathematicians write short abstracts into the books provided by the institute. Therefore, the Books of Abstracts are the oldest and sometimes only records of who was at the Institute and what they were researching. ODA contains the Books of Abstracts from 1944 to mid 2008.