The planning for the IUTAM Symposium on Adiabatic Waves in Liquid-Vapor Systems began in May of 1986 in G5ttingen. The Symposium was held in August of 1989 in the Max-Planck-Institut fUr Str5mungsforschung. The invitations to participants suggested that the written papers concern Fast Adiabatic Phase Changes in Fluids and Related Phenomena. Particular topics suggested were: Liquefaction shockwaves and Shock splitting; Evaporation waves; Condensation in Laval nozzles and turbines; Stability in multiphase shocks; Non-equilibrium and near-critical phenomena; Nucleation in dynamic systems; Structure of transition layers; Acoustic phenomena in two phase systems and Cavitation waves. All of these topics should have been treated with emphasis on physical results, new phenomena and theoretical models. Participants from fourteen nations took part in the Symposium and presented papers which were within the range of suggested topics. The organization and execution of the Symposium was performed by the Max-Planck-Institut fUr Str5mungsforschung in G5ttingen. In particular, the meeting has been promoted under the leadership of Professor Dr. E.-A. MUller, who has for many years given his support for international exchanges in science. The detailed work of organization up to and during the Symposium was in large part due to Dr. T. Kowalewski, who served as Symposium Secretary.