[en] The success of phase space cooling of proton and antiproton beams by electron cooling and stochastic methods as well as the impressive developments in the technology of heavy ion accelerators have initiated a large number of heavy ion storage ring projects. The class of the small rings designed for low energy ions of typically less than 10 MeV/u is almost exclusively dedicated to atomic physics, as the new test storage ring TSR at the Max Planck Institut fuer Kernphysik in Heidelberg that has achieved first electron and laser cooling of heavy ions. TSR is closely followed by the projects ASTRID in Aarhus and the CRYRING in Stockholm. The large Storage Ring ESR at the GSI Darmstadt, capable to store and cool fully stripped uranium ions with energies up to 500 MeV/u has just entered the commissioning phase. A review is given on the major storage ring installations presently in operation or under construction. (author) 32 refs.; 2 figs.; 2 tabs