Abstract: First we will outline the long standing quest for the observation of fluctuations in a Bose-Einstein condensate. In particular we will discuss the role of the chosen thermodynamic ensemble and the dimensionality of the problem. The theoretical description of this problem has led to heated discussions for considerable time. Based on a new analysis by our theoretical collaborators we will show that there are no simple answers to the problem and the results subtly depend on the experimental conditions. In a second part of the talk we will discuss our experimental observation of fluctuations in the thermal part of a Bose gas. These measurements show that fluctuations indeed, occur between the thermal and condensed phase, which provides a complete picture of the fluctuation process.