Retreats of orb weaving spiders (Araneidae) were collected during the winter of 2004/2005 in northwestern Germany in order to determine the importance of these animal-made structures as hibernation sites for terrestrial arthropods. Retreats were clipped out of the vegetation, stored, and searched in the laboratory for their inhabitants. Overall, there was a high occupation of retreats by spiders, whereas only a few other arthropods were recorded. For Central Europe, there is no evidence that retreats made by orb weavers support the hibernation of a large spectrum of arthropods other than spiders. Only for spiders that may also occur as secondary occupants, retreats play an important role as hibernation sites.