client configuration for utf8

[Manfred Ursprung]

I changed from Version 4.0.x to 5.0.24 .
My reason was support for utf8.
Now I have migrated my databases to utf8.
Now I have problems with my clients: mysql and jdbc connector.

How have I to configure them so that they talk also utf8 ?
For illustration a query which doesn't work:
select id from categories where name = 'Kerzenständer';
result is empty
but for
select id from categories where name like 'Kerzenst%';
I get a record

I promise you, i have this 'Kerzenständer' row inside.

It seems that my server doesn't see this 'ä'.
i have read about system variables character_set_connection, character_set_client but all I try didn't work.
How have I to set them ?
My whole database is in character_set utf8
My server is in latin1, character_set_connection = latin1. My test client is mysql for windows xp.

Help appreciate.

Regards

Manfred