Abstract: A method is described for the parallel detection of the methylation state of genomic DNA in which the following steps are conducted: a) cytosine bases unmethylated at the 5′ position in a genomic DNA sample are converted to uracil, thymidine or another base dissimilar to cytosine in its hybridization behavior; (b) of this chemically treated genomic DNA, more than ten different fragments, each of which is less than 2000 base pairs long, are amplified simultaneously by use of synthetic oligonucleotides as primers, whereby these primers each contain sequences that participate in gene regulation and/or transcribed and/or translated genomic sequences, as would be present after a treatment according to step (a); (c) the sequence context of all or a part of the CpG dinucleotides or CpNpG trinucleotides contained in the amplified fragments is determined.