Over the past decades, great progress has been made in surgery on the liver. Technical achievements and the strict application of anatomical knowledge to surgical practice have added a new dimension to the field of liver surgery. In some cases, new facts about the anatomy of the liver needed considerable time before being implemented. Surgery of liver metastases, primary tumours of the liver and not least liver transplantation have focussed the interest of visceral surgeons more and more on this organ. Segment-orientated liver anatomy, a knowledge and consideration of vascular structures, and the observance of anatomical landmarks are the prerequisites for successful surgery on the liver.