The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy comprising self-alignment additives (SAMs) with an at least one bifunctional or polyfunctional anchor group, which effects the homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the liquid-crystalline medium (LC medium) without conventional imide alignment layers. The LC media may be supplemented by a polymerizable or polymerized component, which serves for stabilization of the alignment, for adjustment of the tilt angle and/or as passivation layer.