Bioenergy is the oldest renewable energy resource and has a long tradition in heat provision. However, with the establishment of the chemical industry and engineering the application field as extended to the power and the transport sector. This article outlines the development of power and fuel production from biomass over a period of hundred years until today, as well as future prospects. The crucial technical innovations of bioenergy with regard to political and historical events are reflected. Despite of improvements in the last decades, mainly associated with issues like resource availability, technical efficiency or emission mitigation, the future energy supply by biomass has to be even more efficient, demand-oriented and integrated step-by-step in a more renewable energy system.