Abstract A survey will be presented about the considerable progress which recently has been achieved in the applicability of ferroelectric ceramics. This progress has been obtained by using conventional ferroelectric ceramic materials in combination with second phases of different physical properties (e.g. Pb(Zr, Ti)O3-polymer composites). Furthermore, a review of recent investigations in ferroelectric ceramics will be given dealing with i) the correlation of mechanical and electrical lasses ii) the behaviour of electrical losses at small and large signal operation and iii) the reversible domain wall movements under high mechanical load.