How are trees in Central European forests affected by climate change, yesterday, today and tomorrow? To answer this question, 250 researchers met for the international conference “ClimTree 2013” that took place in Zurich in September 2013. The answers are manifold and confirm that knowledge on this subject is not fully consolidated yet. Nevertheless, there is agreement on the two most important factors causing marked changes: aggravated water shortage during the growing season leading to growth and regeneration changes and inducing mortality, and rising temperatures that accelerate both biotic and abiotic processes, in particular pest outbreaks and forest fires. The question which tree species will dominate under future climatic conditions is lively debated due to novel results from experiments and dendroecological studies that have only partially been considered in forest succession models to date. Thus, the discussion on a next generation of such models has started. The present conference report summarizes the state of the art as well as new research questions in this field.