Cycads are considered a particularly interesting relict group of 'living fossils'. One of the most extensive collections of Cvcads in Germany with 61 species in 140 accessions is cultivated in the greenhouses of the Hamburg Botanical Garden. A special feature are some living type specimens of the genus Encephalartos, which was described by the founder of the Hamburg Garden, Johann Georg Christian Lehmann in 1834. 32 cycads are presented here.