die  Kanzel

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈkant͡sl/

⛪✈️🌳 What exactly is a Kanzel?

The German word die Kanzel has several meanings, depending on the context:

• In a religious context: The most common meaning is the pulpit in a church. This is a raised, often ornately decorated platform from which the clergy delivers the sermon.
• In aviation: Here, die Kanzel refers to the cockpit of an aircraft, the space for the pilots with all the instruments and controls. Sometimes it specifically refers to the glazed canopy of the cockpit.
• In hunting: A Kanzel in this context is a hunting stand or high seat (Hochsitz), often a covered, elevated platform from which hunters observe and hunt game.
• Archaic (Technology): In the past, the driver's cab of a truck or locomotive was sometimes called Kanzel. However, this usage is rare today.

🚨 Although the meanings differ, they often refer to an elevated or enclosed area providing a good overview or serving a special function.

🧐 Grammar: Die Kanzel in Detail

Die Kanzel is a feminine noun. The plural is die Kanzeln.

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences

1. Der Pfarrer stieg auf die Kanzel, um seine Predigt zu halten.
   (The pastor climbed onto the pulpit to deliver his sermon.)
2. Durch die Glaskuppel der Kanzel hatten die Piloten eine hervorragende Sicht.
   (Through the glass canopy of the cockpit, the pilots had an excellent view.)
3. Der Jäger wartete stundenlang geduldig auf der Kanzel im Wald.
   (The hunter waited patiently for hours in the hunting stand in the forest.)

When and how to use "Kanzel"?

The use of die Kanzel strongly depends on the context:

• Ecclesiastical context: Here, the meaning is clearly the pulpit. One speaks of 'preaching from the Kanzel' (von der Kanzel predigen) or 'ascending the Kanzel' (die Kanzel besteigen). Synonyms are Predigtstuhl or sometimes Ambo (although an Ambo is technically a lectern).
• Aviation context: Regarding aircraft, Kanzel means the cockpit. It is often used in a technical or descriptive sense. Synonyms include Cockpit or Führerkanzel.
• Hunting context: Hunters use Kanzel when referring to a high seat or hunting stand (Hochsitz). This is jargon within the hunting community. Synonyms are Hochsitz, Ansitz, Jägerstand.

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to avoid misunderstandings. A 'Kanzel im Wald' (Kanzel in the forest) is certainly not a pulpit.

Memory Aids for "die Kanzel"

Article Mnemonic: Think of die Predigerin (the female preacher) or die Pilotin (the female pilot) – feminine figures who might be in a Kanzel. This helps remember the feminine article die.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone in a high place (the Kanzel) who has a good overview or is about to cancel silence with an announcement – whether it's the priest (church Kanzel), the pilot (cockpit Kanzel), or the hunter (hunting Kanzel).

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

Similar-sounding words:

Don't confuse Kanzel with Kanzler (Chancellor - political office) or Kanzlei (chancellery, law office, administrative office). The similarity in the root (from Lat. cancellarius / cancelli) can cause confusion.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der junge Pilot den erfahrenen Kapitän in der Kanzel: "Was war das Schwierigste, das Sie je in Ihrer Karriere tun mussten?"
Der Kapitän: "Meiner Frau erklären, warum wir nach einem 10-Stunden-Flug noch drei Runden über dem Flughafen drehen mussten – nur weil ich die Landung etwas 'verfeinert' habe."

Translation: The young pilot asks the experienced captain in the cockpit: "What was the hardest thing you ever had to do in your career?"
The captain: "Explaining to my wife why we had to circle the airport three times after a 10-hour flight – just because I was 'refining' the landing a bit."

📜 A Poem about the Kanzel

Die Kanzel hoch, im Kirchenschiff so hehr,
Von dort erklingt die Predigt, laut und sehr.
Die Kanzel vorn, im Flieger schnell und schick,
Von dort lenkt der Pilot mit klugem Blick.
Die Kanzel still, im grünen Tann,
Von dort schaut auf das Wild der Jägersmann.
Drei Orte, doch ein Name nur,
Für Überblick und feste Spur.

Translation:
The pulpit high, in the church nave so grand,
From there the sermon sounds, loud across the land.
The cockpit front, in the plane swift and neat,
From there the pilot steers, a clever feat.
The hunting stand quiet, in the green fir wood,
From there the hunter watches game, as he should.
Three places, yet only one name they bear,
For overview and a steady path to share.

❓ Who or what am I?

Ich steh' in Kirchen, hoch und fest,
Damit der Priester Gutes sagt zum Rest.
Ich bin im Flugzeug, vorn im Bug,
Damit der Pilot meistert jeden Flug.
Ich bin im Wald, auf Stelzen, klein,
Damit der Jäger kann beim Wilde sein.

Wer bin ich?

Translation:
I stand in churches, high and sound,
So the priest can speak good words all around.
I am in the airplane, in the front, you see,
So the pilot masters every journey.
I am in the forest, on stilts, quite small,
So the hunter can be near the wildlife, standing tall.

Who am I?

Solution: die Kanzel

💡 Other Information

Word Origin (Etymology): The word "Kanzel" comes from the Latin word cancelli (plural), meaning "lattice" or "barriers". Originally, it referred to a partitioned area, often separated by a screen or railing. This idea of a distinct, special space is reflected in all its meanings.

Cultural Significance: The church pulpit (Kirchenkanzel), in particular, held immense cultural and social significance for centuries as a place of proclamation, moral instruction, and sometimes political influence.