In recent years numerous investigations into the situation of youth in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) have been conducted. All concur that the position of young people in West Germany has undergone a fundamental change in the last 25 years. In 1983 the Inquiry Commission of the German Federal Parliament studying "Protests of youth in the democratic state" presented its final report, which contributed to correcting some of the derogatory generalizations about young people. Two and one-half years after the Inquiry report the EMNID Institute stated in a 1985 study: "The phase of insecurity among youth at the start of the eighties is apparently over." The study found that in contrast to the youth of 25 years ago the youth of today did not rate "work" so highly; however, the degree of change was fairly small. The changes seem to be more marked in relation to "morals" and "religion." The young people said the most important political tasks were the fight against unemployment, especially unemployment among youth, protection of the environment, and the securing of peace. Additional information items included in this issue are: legal measures for aid to youth, state encouragement to youth, activities of the National Commission for the International Year of Youth, the youth associations, local initiatives, foreign youth in West Germany, youth exchanges under the German-French youth scheme, a glossary, an 11-item bibliography, and a listing of 11 important addresses. (BZ)