Emphasis is on a broad description of the general methods and processes for the synthesis, modification, and characterization of macromolecules. These more fundamental chapters will be supplemented by selected and detailed experiments. In addition to the preparative aspects, the book also gives the reader an impression of the relation of chemical constitution and morphology of polymers to their properties, as well as their application areas. Thus, an additional textbook will not be needed to understand the experiments. The 5th edition contains numerous changes: In recent years, so-called functional polymers, which have special electrical, electronic, optical, and biological properties, have gained more interest. This textbook has therefore been supplemented by recipes that describe the synthesis of these materials in a new chapter titled "Functional Polymers.".