The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) set up the joint interdisciplinary academy group "Aging in Germany" in May 2005. Based on the best-available scientific evidence, the group makes recommendations to the public on how to take advantage of the opportunities resulting from a considerable rise in life expectancy over the past century - "years gained" - and how to deal with the challenges of a demographically aging society. The results will be published in eight volumes of material and a volume of recommendations, above all, for the "World of Employment and Lifelong Learning". The following publication is the English translation of the recommendations of the academy group "Aging in Germany" and puts the findings of the three-year project up for international discussion.