Supernovae release an enormous amount of energy into the interstellar medium. Their remnants can observationally be traced up to several ten-thousand years. So far more than 230 Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) have been identified in the radio range. Detailed studies of the different types of SNRs give insight into the interaction of the blast wave with the interstellar medium. Shock accelerated particles are observed, but also neutron stars left from the supernova explosion make their contribution. X-ray observations in conjunction with radio data constrain models of supernova evolution. A brief review of the origin and evolution of SNRs is given, which are compared with supernova statistics and observational limitations. In addition the morphology and characteristics of the different types of SNRs are described, including some recent results and illustrated by SNRs images mostly obtained with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope.
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