The present volume contains most of the invited talks and two contributed posters of a workshop which was held in]uly 1990 within the frame of the Centro Stefano Franscini, Monte Verita at Ascona in Switzerland. The main idea has been to demonstrate that in many areas in solid state physics the use of synchrotron radiation as a powerful source for polarized uv radiation between 5 eV and about 1500 eV yields exciting new results. Furthermore, one has tried to attract a larger number of Ph D-students to bring them into contact with experienced people in the field. This tutorial aspect, I su ppose, is also in the spirit of Stefano Franscini, after whom the Centro, a joint undertaking between the Cantone Ticino and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), has been named. Stefano Franscini, himself a dedicated teacher, has been the first member of his Canton in the Swiss Federal Council. As such he has been head of the departement of the interior and has been strongly supporting the foundation of the ETHZ. But he is also reknown, even today, as Cantonal Counceler, who has organised the elementary school system in Ticino.
