The study essays an overall view of 16th century German lexicography on the basis of single-, two- and multi-language dictionaries printed on German-speaking territory in that period. The following aspects are dealt with: dictionary typology (forms of lemma selection and commentary); prefaces and postscripts to dictionaries; dictionary titles; author, addressee and user intentions; dictionaries from dictionaries; dictionaries and their German vocabularies; German lexicography in the European context; links with 15th and 17th century lexicography. 100 reproductions from dictionaries of the period illustrate the argument.