Since the earliest days of medicine, relieving pain and accompanying the sick have been among the most important roles of physicians. However, with the increasing possibilities of curing disease, these important aspects of medical practice were neglected. The 1990's were characterized by increasingly dynamic developments in the area of palliative medicine that once again emphasized these aspects of medical care. At present, palliative medicine is recognized as an important aspect of medical care even by those who might have thought it unnecessary a few years ago. The present work offers a review of the situation of palliative medicine in Germany and describes the various organizational forms of palliative medicine and attempts to demonstrate the differences and similarities between them.