Knowledge about the population group of the very old has been very limited so far, despite its rapid growth. The studies conducted so far mainly refer to specific regions in Germany and are thus not transferable to Germany as a whole. However, it is important to have good data in order to better meet the need for support in old age, to give indications of socio-political challenges of an ageing society and to develop solutions for more intergenerational justice. Our study "Old Age in Germany" (D80+), conducted in cooperation with the German Centre for Gerontology (Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen, DZA) and funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ), closes this research gap by means of a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of people aged 80 and over in private households and retirement homes. The research project combines perspectives from different disciplines such as sociology, psychology, health care sciences, gerontology and medicine. In the anthology now published, findings from different subject areas are presented, including social and digital participation, health and care, values and subjective well-being. The e-paper is freely accessible as an Open-Access-publication and can alternatively be ordered as a hardcover book. Furthermore, the research data can be requested for research purposes via the Research Data Centre (Forschungsdatenzentrum, FDZ) of the DZA. Further information on the study can be found on our project page.