die  Bundesanwaltschaft

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈbʊndəsʔanˌvalʃaft/

🏛️ What exactly is the *Bundesanwaltschaft*?

The Bundesanwaltschaft (officially: *Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof*) is the highest public prosecution office of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is responsible for prosecuting crimes against the internal and external security of the federation (e.g., *Terrorismus* (terrorism), *Spionage* (espionage), *Landesverrat* (treason)) and for appeals in criminal cases before the Federal Court of Justice (*Bundesgerichtshof*).

It refers to a specific authority, so there is only one article: die. The word is feminine, which is typical for nouns ending in "-schaft".

🚨 There are no different meanings depending on the article, as only "die" is correct.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: *Die Bundesanwaltschaft*

The noun "Bundesanwaltschaft" is feminine. It always takes the article die.

Declension

Example Sentences

1. Die Bundesanwaltschaft hat die Ermittlungen übernommen.
   (The Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the investigation.)
2. Die Entscheidung der Bundesanwaltschaft wird erwartet.
   (The decision of the Federal Prosecutor's Office is awaited.)
3. Der Fall wurde an die Bundesanwaltschaft übergeben.
   (The case was handed over to the Federal Prosecutor's Office.)

🗣️ Usage in Context

The term "Bundesanwaltschaft" is mainly used in legal, political, and media contexts when discussing serious crimes affecting the security of the federal state.

• Official Context: In official documents, court proceedings, and laws.
• Media: In news reports about terrorism, espionage, or other crimes against the state (*Staatsschutzdelikte*).
• Abbreviation: Often, the head of the authority, the *Generalbundesanwalt* (Federal Public Prosecutor General), is abbreviated as GBA. The authority itself is sometimes also referred to as GBA, although this is not entirely precise.
• Comparison: The *Bundesanwaltschaft* should not be confused with the *Staatsanwaltschaften* (public prosecutor's offices) of the individual states (*Länder*), which are responsible for most "normal" crimes. The *Bundesanwaltschaft* is the highest level.

💡 Mnemonics for *Bundesanwaltschaft*

Article Aid: Words ending in "-schaft" in German are almost always feminine (*die*). Think of *die* Freundschaft (friendship), *die* Meisterschaft (championship), *die* Wissenschaft (science)... and therefore also *die* Bundesanwaltschaft.

Meaning Aid: Break down the word: Bund (referring to the federal level, all of Germany) + Anwaltschaft (the body of lawyers, here in the sense of prosecutors). So it's the *prosecutor's office* (*Anwaltschaft*) of the *Federation* (*Bund*).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar but Different Terms:

• Bundeskriminalamt (BKA): The Federal Criminal Police Office, an investigative police agency; the *Bundesanwaltschaft* is the prosecuting authority.
• Bundesgerichtshof (BGH): The Federal Court of Justice, the highest court for civil and criminal matters, where the *Generalbundesanwalt* is based, but it's a judicial body.

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Fragt ein Richter den Angeklagten: "Wollen Sie einen Anwalt?" Sagt der Angeklagte: "Nein danke, ich möchte lieber einen Freispruch!"

EN: A judge asks the defendant: "Do you want a lawyer?" The defendant replies: "No thanks, I'd rather have an acquittal!"
(Okay, not directly about the *Bundesanwaltschaft*, but fits the legal theme 😉)

📜 A Little Poem

DE: Im Dienste des Bundes, für Recht und für Staat,
Steht die Bundesanwaltschaft stets parat.
Gegen Terror, Verrat, was die Sicherheit stört,
Wird von ihr die Anklage geführt und gehört.
In Karlsruhe ihr Sitz, mit Akten und Fleiß,
Für Deutschlands Gesetze, das ist ihr Beweis.

EN: In service of the Federation, for justice and the state,
Stands the Bundesanwaltschaft, always ready, never late.
Against terror, treason, threats to security's might,
The prosecution is led by them, bringing facts to light.
In Karlsruhe their seat, with files and with zeal,
For Germany's laws, their purpose they reveal.

❓ Little Riddle

DE: Ich bin die höchste Anklägerin im Land,
Nehm' Spionage und Terror zur Hand.
Mein Chef ist der General, mein Sitz nicht in Berlin,
Für des Bundes Sicherheit zieh'n wir vor Gericht hin.

Wer bin ich?

EN: I am the highest prosecutor in the land,
Taking espionage and terror in hand.
My boss is the General, my seat not Berlin's scene,
For the Federation's safety, to court we convene.

Who am I?

Solution: die Bundesanwaltschaft

⚙️ Other Information

Word Composition:

The word "Bundesanwaltschaft" is a compound noun (*Kompositum*), composed of:

• Bund: Refers to the federal level of Germany (*Bundesebene*).
• Anwalt: Derived from Middle High German "anewalte" (authorized representative). Here used in the sense of *Staatsanwalt* (public prosecutor).
• -schaft: A suffix often denoting collectives or institutions (like *Mannschaft* (team), *Gesellschaft* (society)).

Location (*Sitz*):

The *Bundesanwaltschaft* has its main headquarters (*Hauptsitz*) in Karlsruhe, the same city as the Federal Court of Justice (*Bundesgerichtshof*) and the Federal Constitutional Court (*Bundesverfassungsgericht*).