die  Bürgerschaft

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈbʏʁɡɐʃaft/

👥 Defining 'die Bürgerschaft'

The word die Bürgerschaft is a feminine noun in German and has several meanings:

1. The citizenry or community of citizens: This refers to all people who live in a specific municipality, city, or state and possess civic rights. It emphasizes the collective, the community of citizens. Example: Die gesamte Bürgerschaft war zur Wahl aufgerufen. (The entire citizenry was called upon to vote.)

2. A specific legislative body or parliament: In some German city-states, namely Hamburg and Bremen, the state parliament is called the Bürgerschaft. Example: Die Hamburger Bürgerschaft tagt im Rathaus. (The Hamburg Parliament/Bürgerschaft convenes in the city hall.)

3. Citizenship rights (archaic): In historical contexts, it could also refer to the right to be a citizen of a city. This meaning is rare today.

🚨 Important: It is a collective noun, mostly used in the singular form.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar & Declension of 'die Bürgerschaft'

Die Bürgerschaft is a feminine noun. The article is always 'die' in the nominative and accusative singular. The plural form (die Bürgerschaften) is rarely used; if it is, it usually refers to different citizenries or the parliaments of several city-states.

Singular Declension

Plural Declension - Rare!

📝 Example Sentences

• Die aktive Bürgerschaft engagiert sich für ihre Stadt.
  (The active citizenry is involved in its city.)
• Die Entscheidung der Bürgerschaft wurde respektiert.
  (The decision of the citizenry/parliament was respected.)
• Der Bürgermeister dankte der Bürgerschaft für ihre Unterstützung.
  (The mayor thanked the citizenry for their support.)
• Wir informieren die Bürgerschaft über die neuen Pläne.
  (We are informing the citizenry about the new plans.)
• Die Zusammenarbeit verschiedener Bürgerschaften wurde diskutiert.
  (The cooperation between different communities/citizenries was discussed. - Rare plural usage)

🗣️ How to Use 'die Bürgerschaft'

The term die Bürgerschaft is often used in political, social, or administrative contexts.

• General Meaning (Citizenry): It describes the inhabitants of a municipality or country as an acting or affected collective. It often sounds slightly more formal or elevated than Bevölkerung (population) or Einwohner (inhabitants). Example: Das Fest wurde von der Bürgerschaft gut angenommen. (The festival was well received by the community/citizenry.)
• Specific Meaning (Parliament): Only used when referring to the state parliaments of Hamburg and Bremen. Example: Ein neues Gesetz wurde in der Bremischen Bürgerschaft verabschiedet. (A new law was passed in the Bremen Parliament/Bürgerschaft.)

Distinction from similar words:

• Bevölkerung: Includes all inhabitants of an area, regardless of citizenship or rights. 'Bürgerschaft' often implies a more active role or sense of belonging.
• Gemeinschaft: Can be more general, referring to any kind of group (e.g., village community, interest group). 'Bürgerschaft' is more specific to the political/municipal context.
• Gemeinde: Refers more to the administrative unit or the place itself.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Bürgerschaft'

Article Mnemonic (die): Many German nouns ending in -schaft are feminine (die Freundschaft, die Landschaft, die Gesellschaft). Think of 'the fellowship' or 'relationship' of the Bürger (citizens) – the suffix -schaft strongly suggests die.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a large 'ship' full of 'Bürger' (citizens) sailing together as a community. That's the Bürgerschaft (citizenry). For the parliament meaning, remember that in the specific city-states (Hamburg, Bremen), the citizens elect representatives to this body, the Bürgerschaft.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but Different Words:

• Bürgerinitiative (f): A specific citizens' initiative or action group focused on a particular issue, not the entire citizenry.
• Bürgertum (n): The bourgeoisie, a social class, historically or sociologically defined.

😄 A Little Joke

Ein Tourist fragt in Hamburg: "Entschuldigen Sie, wo finde ich denn hier die Bürgerschaft?"
Antwortet ein Einheimischer: "Na, überall um Sie herum! Und wenn Sie das Gebäude meinen, das ist drüben im Rathaus."

Translation:

A tourist in Hamburg asks: "Excuse me, where can I find the Bürgerschaft (citizenry/parliament) here?"
A local replies: "Well, all around you! And if you mean the building, that's over there in the city hall."

📜 A Short Poem

Die Stadt erwacht, ein neuer Tag,
die Bürgerschaft, was sie vermag.
Gemeinsam stark, mit Rat und Tat,
gestaltet sie den eignen Staat.
Mal laut, mal leis, doch immer da,
in Bremen und Hamburgia*.

Translation:

The city wakes, a brand new day,
the citizenry, what it can sway.
Together strong, with deed and word,
it shapes the state, its voice is heard.
Sometimes loud, sometimes low, always near,
in Bremen and Hamburg*, it is clear.

(*Hamburg)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin die Summe vieler Leute,
in Stadt und Land, bis auf heute.
In Hamburg bin ich Parlament,
ein Name, den man dort gut kennt.

Wer oder was bin ich?

Translation:

I am the sum of many people,
in city and country, beneath the steeple.
In Hamburg, I'm the parliament's name,
a term well-known within its frame.

Who or what am I?

Solution: die Bürgerschaft

ℹ️ Other Information

Word Composition

The word Bürgerschaft is composed of:

• Bürger (m): Citizen; inhabitant of a city or state with specific rights and duties.
• -schaft (suffix): A suffix often indicating a collective, group, or state (e.g., Mannschaft - team, Freundschaft - friendship, Herrschaft - rule). It makes the noun feminine.

Trivia

• Die Bremische Bürgerschaft (Bremen Parliament) is the smallest state parliament in Germany.
• The term "Bürgerschaftliches Engagement" refers to voluntary work done by citizens for the common good (civic engagement).