Within the last 10 years, 102 cases of chronic pancreatitis have been observed, indicating that the incidence of chronic pancreatitis in Zurich is much higher than previously claimed. 84% of our patients are male with an average age of 43 years at onset. Pancreatic calcifications were demonstrated in 63%. Chronic alcoholism occurs in 62% of all patients. In our experience, ‘acute pancreatitis’ in chronic alcoholics is almost always the first manifestation of chronic relapsing pancreatitis, which is detected on the average 5 years after the first pain episode. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency demonstrated by the CCK-secretin test was found in 99% of the patients tested, steatorrhea in 72%, and clinical or subclinical diabetes in 83%. 29 of the 102 patients died during the average follow-up time of 8.6 years. Death was due to complications of pancreatitis in about 30%. 35% of all patients were operated on for complications or for severe pain. But 36% of patients with chronic relapsing pancreatitis became painless spontaneously (‘secondary painless’ pancreatitis) after an average period of 6.6 years. In patients with ‘secondary painless’ pancreatitis, severe pancreatic insufficiency is predominantly present, indicating that chronic pancreatitis has the tendency to ‘burn out’ spontaneously.