The title compound was prepared by reaction of aqueous solutions of Ba(SCN)2 • 3 H2O and CdSO4 • 8/3 H2O in the molar ratio of 3:1. The crystal structure was solved by X-ray methods (Mr = 861.61, space group P 21/c, Z = 4, a = 943.6(3) pm, b = 1469.7(6) pm, c = 1827.1(6) pm, β = 109.02(7), V = 2395.4 106 pm3, λ (AgKa) = 55.83 pm, dc = 2.38 gcm-3, μ(AgKa) = 22.4 cm-1, F(000) = 1591.9, T = 298 K, final R = 0.035 for 1350 independent reflexions). The structure consists of two crystallographically independent, distorted Cd(SCN)6 octahedra. Both crystallographically different Ba2+ cations are surrounded by 4 oxygen atoms of water and 5 nitrogen atoms of SCN, forming chains in the direction o f the b-axis