Curated category
German words and phrases
- PrivatdozentA 1848 caricature in the satirical periodical Fliegende Blätter depicts a Privatdozent wrapped up in his hopes, turning into a mummy.
- KleinstaatereiThe word Kleinstaaterei emerged in the early nineteenth century as a sharp criticism of Germany's political map. It described a landscape split into hundreds…
- Drang nach OstenPolish journalist Julian Klaczko wrote the phrase Drang nach Osten in 1849. He used it as a citation within his reporting on German expansionist tendencies.
- WirtschaftswunderThe Wirtschaftswunder, a German word meaning "economic miracle," describes one of the most dramatic reversals of fortune in modern history.
- ÜbermenschIn 1896, Alexander Tille published the first English translation of Thus Spoke Zarathustra. He rendered the German term Übermensch as "Beyond-Man".
- FührerThe German word Führer means leader or guide. It appears in compound words like Heerführer, which translates to military leader.
- OstpolitikIn 1963, Egon Bahr stood before the Evangelische Akademie Tutzing and delivered a speech that would eventually reshape Europe.
- UntermenschThe American author Lothrop Stoddard published a book titled The Revolt Against Civilization: The Menace of the Under-man in 1922.
- KapellmeisterThe word Kapellmeister emerged from the German terms for chapel and master, literally translating to 'master of the chapel choir'.
- LeitmotifThe word leitmotif entered English as a partial anglicization of the German term Leitmotiv. This German phrase literally translates to leading motif or…
- NazismThe word Nazi began as a derogatory nickname for a backward farmer or peasant in Bavaria. It was a hypocorism, or pet name, derived from the German male name…
- BlitzkriegThe word blitzkrieg first appeared in a German military periodical called Deutsche Wehr in 1935. It described quick or lightning warfare but had no…
- LebensraumIn 1860, the German geographer Oscar Peschel used a specific phrase in his review of Charles Darwin's work to describe how physical geography influences…