Dendritic cells have entered the centre stage of applied immunological research. Dermatologists knew for quite some time about the extraordinary capacity of these cells to induce immune responses. Recent progress in using these cells as potent adjuvant for the treatment of human cancer has inaugurated an unprecedented wave of publications about the role of these cells for the pathogenesis and treatment of various types of cancers and infectious diseases. This short review attempts to follow some of the origins of dendritic cell research with special regard to dermatology and gives a perspective on newer developments such as the use of dendritic cells to induce antigen-specific tolerance.