der  Filz

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɪlts/

🧶 What exactly is "der Filz"?

The German word der Filz has two main meanings:

1. Textile Material (Felt): A non-woven fabric produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibres (usually wool or animal hair) together using pressure, moisture, and heat (felting process, das Filzen). It's dense, often warm, and mouldable.

   Example: Aus Filz kann man Hüte, Hausschuhe oder Dekoartikel basteln. (You can craft hats, slippers, or decorative items from felt.)

2. Colloquial, mostly negative: Cronyism, Nepotism: An opaque network of relationships (often in politics, business, or administration) where individuals provide mutual benefits, usually to the detriment of others or the public good. It describes a system of favouritism and potential corruption.

   Example: Der politische Filz in dieser Stadt ist kaum zu durchdringen. (The political cronyism in this city is almost impenetrable.)

🚨 Important: The context makes it clear which meaning is intended. The negative, figurative meaning (die übertragene Bedeutung) is very common.

🧐 Grammar of "der Filz" in Detail

The noun "Filz" is masculine (maskulin). Here is its declension (die Deklination):

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

The plural is "die Filze". It's used somewhat rarely for the material meaning (e.g., different types of felt) and even less frequently for the figurative meaning (as this is often understood as a collective concept), although grammatically it would also be "die Filze".

💡 Usage Examples

• Material: Der dicke Filz isoliert gut gegen Kälte. (The thick felt insulates well against cold. - Nominative Singular)
• Material: Die Eigenschaften des Filzes sind vielfältig. (The properties of the felt are diverse. - Genitive Singular)
• Cronyism: Man wirft ihm vor, Teil des politischen Filzes zu sein. (He is accused of being part of the political cronyism. - Genitive Singular)
• Cronyism: Mit diesem Filz muss endlich aufgeräumt werden! (This cronyism must finally be cleared up! - Dative Singular)
• Material (rare): Wir haben verschiedene Filze bestellt. (We ordered various felts. - Accusative Plural)

📝 How to Use "Filz"?

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Filz"

Article Mnemonic

Think of DER big, bad political scandal involving cronyism (der Filz) – scandals (der Skandal) are often masculine in German. Or think of DER thick, warm coat (der Mantel) – much like a thick piece of Filz material.

Meaning Mnemonic

Imagine how wool fibres get densely matted and tangled together during felting, becoming impenetrable (like the material Filz). Similarly, relationships in cronyism (the figurative Filz) become densely tangled and opaque to outsiders. Both are dense and hard to separate! You can feel (sounds like 'Filz') the thickness of the material, and you can feel the unfairness of the cronyism.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words & Potential Confusion

• Flies (das): A thin, often synthetic material (e.g., painter's fleece, interfacing). Don't confuse with Vlies (das), which can also mean sheep's fleece and is closer to Filz.
• Pelz (der): Fur, the coat of animals, usually with hair. Filz is made from fibres (often wool).

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Warum mögen Politiker keinen kalten Winter?
Weil sie dann Angst haben, dass ihr warmer Filz auffliegt!

EN: Why don't politicians like cold winters?
Because they're afraid their warm Filz (cronyism, but punning on 'felt' being warm) will be exposed! (auffliegen = to be exposed, blow up)

✍️ Poem about Filz

DE:
Der Filz, so dicht, aus Wolle fein,
hält warm und schützt vor Sonnenschein.
Ein Hut, ein Schuh, ein Teppich weich,
aus Fasern fest, an Formen reich.

Doch spricht man leis von anderem Filz,
wo Hand wäscht Hand, ganz ohne Witz.
Ein Netzwerk dicht, versteckt, obskur,
nur Eigennutz auf dieser Spur.

EN Translation:
The felt, so dense, of wool so fine,
Keeps warm and shields from sunshine.
A hat, a shoe, a carpet soft,
From fibres firm, in shapes aloft.

But whispers speak of other Filz,
Where hand washes hand, it truly chills.
A network dense, concealed, obscure,
Just self-interest on this tour.

❓ Riddle Time

DE:
Ich bin mal Stoff, ganz ohne Naht,
mal ein System, das keiner mag.
Mal wärm' ich dich, mal schad' ich sehr,
mal bin ich dicht, mal undurchkehr'.

Was bin ich?

EN Translation:
Sometimes I'm fabric, without a seam,
Sometimes a system, a disliked scheme.
Sometimes I warm you, sometimes I harm,
Sometimes I'm dense, sometimes I disarm (by being impenetrable).

What am I?

💡 More about "Filz"

Etymology

The word "Filz" comes from the Old High German word "filz", documented as early as the 8th century, which already had a similar meaning (matted wool mass). It is related to the Old English "felt".

Idioms (Redewendungen)

• "jemandem den Filz geben" (outdated): to give someone a dressing-down, to reprimand someone.
• "verfilzt sein": Can refer to hair or wool (matted, tangled, uncombable), but also to structures (opaquely intertwined, in the sense of cronyism). Example: Die Haare der Katze sind total verfilzt. (The cat's fur is completely matted.) Die Strukturen in der Verwaltung sind hoffnungslos verfilzt. (The structures in the administration are hopelessly intertwined/mired in cronyism.)