die  Aufhebung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊfˌheːbʊŋ/

📜 What does "die Aufhebung" mean?

The word die Aufhebung is a feminine noun and has several meanings, often dependent on the context:

• Abolition, annulment, revocation, cancellation: This is the most common meaning. It refers to the termination or invalidation of something existing, such as a Gesetz (law), a Regelung (regulation), a Maßnahme (measure), or an Vereinbarung (agreement).
  Example: Die Aufhebung des Verbots wurde beschlossen. (The abolition of the ban was decided.)
• Preservation, keeping: In a more specific, often legal or philosophical context, Aufhebung can also mean elevating something to a higher level, thereby simultaneously preserving and changing it. This is central to the philosophical concept of dialectics in Hegel (see below).
  Example (rare in everyday life): Die Aufhebung der Tradition in der Moderne. (The sublation/preservation-through-transformation of tradition in modernity.)
• Philosophy (Hegel): In Hegel's philosophy, "Aufhebung" (often translated as sublation) has a threefold meaning:
  1. Negation (to end, abolish something)
  2. Conservation (to preserve, keep something)
  3. Elevation (to lift something to a higher level). Thus, a contradiction is not simply eliminated but 'aufgehoben' (sublated) in a new synthesis.

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to grasp the correct meaning. The first meaning (abolition) is the most widespread in general usage.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar in Detail: die Aufhebung

"Aufhebung" is a feminine noun. The article is die.

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

The plural is "die Aufhebungen".

📝 Example Sentences

• Die Aufhebung der Sanktionen wurde gefeiert.
  (The lifting of the sanctions was celebrated.)
• Der Grund für die Aufhebung des Vertrages war unklar.
  (The reason for the annulment of the contract was unclear.)
• Wir stimmen der Aufhebung der Regelung zu.
  (We agree to the repeal of the regulation.)
• Das Gericht ordnete die sofortige Aufhebung des Haftbefehls an.
  (The court ordered the immediate cancellation of the arrest warrant.)
• Die vielen Aufhebungen von Gesetzen sorgten für Verwirrung.
  (The many repeals of laws caused confusion.)

💡 How to use "die Aufhebung"?

The use of "Aufhebung" depends heavily on the context:

• Law & Administration: Very common in legal and administrative fields. One speaks of the Aufhebung eines Gesetzes (repeal of a law), Aufhebung einer Verordnung (revocation of an ordinance), Aufhebung eines Urteils (quashing of a judgment), or Aufhebung einer Sperre (lifting of a ban/block).
• Everyday Language: Less common, but possible, e.g., die Aufhebung einer Verabredung (cancellation of an appointment) or die Aufhebung einer Mitgliedschaft (termination of a membership). Here, synonyms like "Absage" (cancellation) or "Kündigung" (termination/notice) are often more common.
• Philosophy: Especially in Hegelian dialectics, "Aufhebung" has a central, complex meaning (see definition).

Distinction from similar words:

• Abschaffung: Very similar to the first meaning of Aufhebung, often used synonymously. Tendency: Abschaffung feels more final.
• Annullierung: Mostly refers to contracts or formal acts declared invalid.
• Widerruf: Often refers to declarations, orders, or permits being withdrawn.
• Kündigung: Refers to the termination of a contractual relationship (rent, employment).

Generally, "Aufhebung" often sounds more formal and official than, for example, "Absage".

🧠 Mnemonics for "Aufhebung"

Article Mnemonic (die)

Many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think: The ending (-ung) signals a feminine thing! So: die Aufhebung.

Meaning Mnemonic (Abolition/Preservation)

Imagine you 'heben auf' (lift up) something important (preserving it), but at the same time, this action 'hebt auf' (cancels out) an old rule. The word combines taking away and keeping – like tidying up: some things are thrown away (aufgehoben in the sense of cancelled), important things are aufgehoben (kept).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Watch out for similar terms!

• Das Aufheben: The nominalized verb "aufheben" (e.g., "Das Aufheben des Pakets war schwer" - Lifting the package was hard). Refers to the action of lifting or keeping.
• Viel Aufhebens machen: An idiom meaning to make a big fuss about something (e.g., "Mach doch nicht so viel Aufhebens darum!" - Don't make such a fuss about it!). Here, "Aufhebens" is a nominalized genitive form of the verb.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Widersprechen Sie der Aufhebung Ihrer Bewährungsstrafe?"
Sagt der Angeklagte: "Nein, Herr Richter, ich hebe lieber die Hände!"

(Judge asks the defendant: "Do you object to the revocation of your probation?"
Defendant says: "No, Your Honor, I'd rather raise ['hebe'] my hands!")
(Play on words: 'aufheben' can mean revoke/lift, and 'Hände heben' means raise hands.)

📜 A Little Poem

Ein altes Gesetz, schon lang nicht mehr recht,
Verstaubt und vergessen, bei Tag und bei Nacht.
Da kommt der Beschluss, klar und rein,
Die Aufhebung soll es nun sein!

Doch was einst war, ist nicht ganz fort,
Bleibt als Erfahrung an anderem Ort.
So hebt man auf, was nicht mehr passt,
Und schafft doch Neues, ohne Hast.

(An old law, long since unjust,
Dusty and forgotten, day and night.
Then comes the decision, clear and pure,
The Abolition/Repeal it shall now be!

But what once was, is not quite gone,
Remains as experience in another place.
Thus one sublates/cancels what no longer fits,
And yet creates anew, without haste.)

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich mache Gesetze ungültig und Schranken zunichte,
Beende Verbote und alte Berichte.
In der Philosophie heb' ich auf und bewahr' zugleich,
Bin oft formell und im Amtsdeutsch reich.

Was bin ich?

(I invalidate laws and nullify barriers,
End prohibitions and old reports.
In philosophy, I sublate and preserve at the same time,
Am often formal and rich in officialese.

What am I?)
(Solution: die Aufhebung)

🧐 More Interesting Facts

Word Formation

"Aufhebung" is a noun derived from the verb aufheben. The ending -ung is frequently used to form nouns from verbs, indicating the process or result of the action. The verb "aufheben" itself is polysemous (has multiple meanings):

• etwas vom Boden aufheben (to lift something from the ground)
• etwas bewahren, speichern (to keep, store something)
• etwas ungültig machen, annullieren (to cancel, abolish something)
• sich gegenseitig aufheben (to cancel each other out)

This ambiguity of the verb is reflected in the noun.

Philosophy Context

The concept of Aufhebung in Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's philosophy is one of the most complex and central aspects of his thought. It describes the process of dialectical progress where a thesis is challenged by its antithesis, and both are 'aufgehoben' (sublated) in a synthesis – meaning simultaneously negated, preserved, and elevated to a higher level. This understanding is far removed from the everyday use of the word as mere annulment.