  Thermal models are very useful in the understanding of particle production in
general and especially in the case of strangeness. We summarize the assumptions
which go into a thermal model calculation and which differ in the application
of various groups. We compare the different results to each other. Using our
own calculation we discuss the validity of the thermal model and the amount of
strangeness equilibration at CERN-SPS energies. Finally the implications of the
thermal analysis on the reaction dynamics are discussed.
