Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Denkmal
Memorial.
Dom
Cathedral.
Dorf
Village.
Einbahnstrasse
One-way street.
Feiertag
Holiday.
Flughafen
Airport.
Fluss
River.
Fremdenzimmer
Room for short-term let.
Gasse
Alley.
Gastarbeiter
“Guest worker”: a foreigner who comes
to Germany to do menial work.
Gasthaus, Gasthof
Guesthouse, inn.
Gaststätte
Traditional bar that also serves food.
Gemälde
Painting.
Grünen, die
The Greens: political party.
Haupteingang
Main entrance.
Hof
Court, courtyard, mansion.
Insel
Island.
Jugendherberge
Youth hostel.
Jugendstil
German version of Art Nouveau.
Junker
Prussian landowning class.
Kaiser
Emperor.
Kammer
Room, chamber.
Kapelle
Chapel.
Kaufhaus
Department store.
Kino
Cinema.
Kirche
Church.
Kneipe
Bar.
Konditorei
Cake shop.
Krankenhaus
Hospital.
Kunst
Art.
Markt
Market, market square.
Motorrad
Motorbike.
Not
Emergency.
Platz
Square.
Quittung
O
cial receipt.
Rathaus
Town hall.
Reich
Empire.
Reisebüro
Travel agency.
Rundgang
Way round.
S-Bahn
Suburban train network.
Sammlung
Collection.
Schicki
Abbreviation of “Schicki-Micki”: yuppie.
Schloss
Castle, palace.
See
Lake.
Staatssicherheitsdienst (STASI)
The “State Security
Service” or secret police of the GDR.
Stadt
Town, city.
Stammtisch
Table in a pub or restaurant reserved for
regular customers.
Stiftung
Foundation.
Strand
Beach.
Strassenbahn
Tram.
Tankstelle
Petrol station.
To r
Gate, gateway.
Trabi
The Trabant, East Germany's two-cylinder, two-
stroke people's car.
Turm
Towe r.
U-Bahn
Network of underground trains.
Verkehrsamt/Verkehrsverein
Tourist o
ce.
Viertel
Quarter, district.
Volk
People, folk; given mystical associations by Hitler.
Vopo
Slang for Volkspolizei, a member of the East
German police force.
Wald
Forest.
Weimar Republic
Parliamentary democracy,
established in 1918, which collapsed with
Hitler's assumption of power in 1933.
Wende
Literally, “turning point” - the term used to
describe the events of November 1989 and after.
Zeitschrift
Magazine.
Zeitung
Newspaper.
Zeughaus
Arsenal.
Zimmer
Room.
Acronyms
BRD (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
O
cial name of
former West Germany.
CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union)
Christian
Democratic (Conservative) Party.
DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik)
O
cial
name of former East Germany.
GDR (German Democratic Republic)
English
equivalent of DDR.
NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche
Arbbeiterpartei)
“National Socialist German Workers'
Party”, the o
cial name for the Nazis.
PDS (Partei des Demokratischen Sozializmus)
The
revamped SED after the collapse of the Wall.
SED (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands)
“Socialist Unity Party of Germany”, the o
cial name
of the East German communist party before
December 1989.
SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands)
Social Democratic (Labour) Party.
