Just after the discovery of the iron based superconductors (iron pnictides) important
differences from the conventional as well as to the high temperature superconducting
cuprates were found. The complex band structure (multiple energy gaps, the
unconventional symmetry of the superconducting order parameter and the unknown nature
of the Cooper pair coupling mechanism) results in interesting new properties of these
materials. This review summarizes the status of theoretical and experimental results on
Josephson effects in the iron pnictides connected to these unusual properties. On one hand
the investigation of Josephson effects can be a helpful tool to determine these properties
and to test different theoretical models, but on the other hand these properties may lead to
new kinds of Josephson junctions and future applications.