das  Lazarett

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/latsaˈʁɛt/

🏥 What exactly is a Lazarett?

The German word Lazarett (neuter, article das) refers to a hospital, especially a military hospital or a field hospital, often set up temporarily to care for sick or wounded soldiers. It can also be used more generally for a hospital, but this is rather outdated or regional.

Originally, it referred to quarantine stations for plague victims, named after the biblical Lazarus. Today, it is primarily associated with military and war contexts.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar in Detail: das Lazarett

The noun „Lazarett“ is neuter, taking the article das. It declines as follows:

Example Sentences

1. Der verwundete Soldat wurde sofort ins nächste Lazarett gebracht.
   (The wounded soldier was immediately taken to the nearest military hospital.)
2. Die Bedingungen im Feldlazarett waren schwierig.
   (The conditions in the field hospital were difficult.)
3. Im Lazarett wurden viele Patienten versorgt.
   (Many patients were cared for in the Lazarett.)
4. Die alten Gebäude dienten früher als Lazarett.
   (The old buildings used to serve as a hospital/Lazarett.)

💡 How to Use "Lazarett"?

The term Lazarett is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Military: To denote military hospitals, both permanent facilities and mobile Feldlazarette (field hospitals) in war or crisis zones.
• Historical: In accounts of wars and past epidemics (e.g., Pesthospitäler - plague hospitals were sometimes called Lazarette).
• Colloquial (rare): Sometimes slightly jokingly or archaically for a normal hospital or sick bay, e.g., "Die halbe Mannschaft liegt im Lazarett" (meaning: half the team is sick).

In everyday language, people usually say Krankenhaus or Klinik. Lazarett often sounds more serious, military, or historical.

⚠️ Avoid using Lazarett synonymously for any hospital, as it carries the specific connotation of a military or field hospital.

🧠 Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic: Think of das Haus (the house) – a Lazarett is a type of 'house' (building) for the sick, albeit a special one. Neutral places or buildings in German often take 'das' (das Haus, das Gebäude, das Krankenhaus, das Lazarett).

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine soldiers saying "Lazy? No retting (saving)!" Soldiers aren't lazy in a Lazarett; they are there for 'retting' (from the German word 'retten' = to save) - being saved/treated.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Words

Potentially Confusing Words:

• Sanatorium: A health resort or institution for long-term treatment or convalescence, usually not military.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chefarzt den neuen Militärarzt im Lazarett: "Haben Sie schon Erfahrung mit Amputationen?" Antwortet der Neue: "Na klar, ich habe schon unzählige Glieder... äh... Strukturen in meiner Powerpoint-Präsentation entfernt!"

Translation: The chief physician asks the new military doctor at the Lazarett: "Do you have any experience with amputations?" The new doctor replies: "Sure, I've already removed countless limbs... uh... structures in my PowerPoint presentation!"

📜 A Short Poem

Im Lazarett, bei Tag und Nacht,
Wird über Leid und Schmerz gewacht.
Wo rote Kreuze leise mahnen,
Folgt Heilung alten, kriegerischen Bahnen.
Ein Ort der Hoffnung, still und rein,
Mög' bald nur Frieden dort sein.

Translation:
In the Lazarett, by day and night,
Over suffering and pain, watch is kept tight.
Where red crosses softly warn,
Healing follows old paths, by warfare torn.
A place of hope, silent and pure,
May only peace soon there endure.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Haus für Uniformen,
Doch nicht zum Schlafen, nicht nach Normen.
Wer Schuss und Splitter hat erlitten,
Findet hier Hilfe, unbestritten.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I am a house for uniforms,
But not for sleeping, not by norms.
He who suffered shot and shard,
Finds help here, without disregard.

What am I?

Solution: das Lazarett

🧐 More Interesting Facts

Etymology: The word "Lazarett" comes from the Italian lazzaretto. This, in turn, derives from Santa Maria di Nazareth, the name of a church in Venice near which a plague hospital (Pesthospital) was established in the 15th century. Another theory links it to the biblical Lazarus, the patron saint of lepers.

Feldlazarett vs. Hauptverbandplatz: In military medical services, there's often a tiered system. The Hauptverbandplatz (main dressing station) is closer to the front line for initial treatment, while the Feldlazarett is usually further back and better equipped for surgery and longer care.