The two parallel versions of the German self-rating scales for depression, the `Befindlichkeitsskala' BF-S and Bf-S', developed by von Zerssen (1976), have been translated into the Dutch language. The purpose of this study is 1) to present a translation of the scales, 2) to compare the original German scales with the translated versions on some psychometric properties, and 3) to give a first validation for the Dutch versions. Data were gathered in a depressive and a normal population. As for the German versions, factor analyses showed that a one factor solution was appropriate for both populations and for both scales. The reliability turned out to be very satisfactory. No clear relations of these depression scales were found with sex, age, and educational status. A single case study indicated that these measures 1) are sensitive to antidepressant agents, i.e. various sleep-wake manipulations, and 2) can be used frequently within a short time span.