Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in Leipzig started in 1989 with Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8 high-T-c superconducting thin films grown in a laser-ionization mass spectrometer. Here, we briefly review 25 years of development of advanced PLD processes in Leipzig and their application to high-T-c superconducting, wide-bandgap semiconducting and multiferroic thin films, nanostructures and composites. The first two decades were devoted to large-area and double-sided YBa2Cu3O7-delta thin films and hetero- and homoepitaxial ZnO-based films and nanowires, respectively. Based on that, transparent, oxide-based electronic devices are processed with epitaxial n-ZnO:Mg, Ga2O3, In2O3, or TiO2 films. Amorphous oxide films of p-ZnCo2O4 and p-NiO provide p-type counterparts in highly rectifying pn-junction devices and are an environmentally friendly alternative. Magnetoelectric multiferroic composites, and highly correlated iridate thin films are other current hot research topics. PLD appears as one of the most flexible growth techniques for functional oxides on research and demonstrator level.