From the tumor register of the Institute of Pathology of Jena all soft tissue tumors of the head and neck collected between 1959 and 1984 were retrieved and reclassified. 562 out of 646 tumors (87%) were benign. Three quarter of these growths could be diagnosed as nerve sheath tumors (schwannomas and neurofibromas), hemangiomas, fibrohistiocytic tumors and lipomas. 84 tumors were malignant (13%). As the most frequent subtypes we found fibrohistiocytic sarcomas (malignant fibrous histiocytomas and atypical fibroxanthomas), muscularly differentiated sarcomas (rhabdo- and leiomyosarcomas) and unclassified sarcomas. The age and sex distribution as well as the localization and histologic peculiarities were analysed and compared with findings reported in the literature. The significance of knowing such data for diagnostic and differential diagnostic considerations is stressed and exemplified.