die  Kommune

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/kɔˈmʊnə/

🏙️ What does "die Kommune" mean?

The German word die Kommune primarily has two meanings:

1. Municipality or city as an administrative unit: This is the most common meaning. It refers to the smallest administrative unit in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, which has its own tasks and rights (e.g., a town or village). Common synonyms are Gemeinde, Stadt, or Ortschaft.

   Example: Die finanzielle Lage der Kommune ist angespannt. (The financial situation of the municipality is tense.)

2. Intentional community or shared living arrangement: Here, die Kommune describes a group of people living together, often sharing common property, values, or goals. This was particularly popular in the 1960s and 70s (often with a political or social background).

   Example: Sie lebten jahrelang in einer Kommune auf dem Land. (They lived in a commune in the countryside for years.)

🚨 Note: The context usually clarifies which meaning is intended. The first meaning is much more common in official and everyday language.

Article rules for der, die, and das

The Grammar of "die Kommune" 🧐

The word "Kommune" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

Example Sentences

• Nominative: Die Kommune plant ein neues Schwimmbad. (The municipality is planning a new swimming pool. - Meaning 1)
• Genitive: Die Entscheidung der Kommune wurde kritisiert. (The municipality's decision was criticized. - Meaning 1)
• Dative: Wir helfen der Kommune bei der Organisation des Festes. (We are helping the municipality organize the festival. - Meaning 1)
• Accusative: Sie besuchte eine alternative Kommune in den Bergen. (She visited an alternative commune in the mountains. - Meaning 2)
• Plural: Viele Kommunen leiden unter Finanznot. (Many municipalities are suffering from financial hardship. - Meaning 1)

How to use "die Kommune"? 🤔

The usage of die Kommune strongly depends on the context:

• In an administrative/political context: It's a formal term for a Gemeinde (municipality) or Stadt (city). You might hear about kommunale Verwaltung (municipal administration), kommunale Aufgaben (municipal tasks), or the Finanzen der Kommune (finances of the municipality). It's often interchangeable with Gemeinde, although "Kommune" sometimes feels like a broader term or has a slightly more formal tone.
• In a social/historical context: It refers to an alternative way of life, a shared living arrangement with common ideals. This meaning is more specific and less common in everyday language than the first. You wouldn't use "Gemeinde" here.

Comparison with "Gemeinde": While "Gemeinde" often refers to a village or smaller town and can also mean a religious congregation (Kirchengemeinde), "Kommune" in the administrative sense is more neutral and can apply to municipalities/cities of any size. In the social sense, "Kommune" is clearly distinct from "Gemeinde".

💡 Mnemonics for "die Kommune"

Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in -e are feminine (die). Think: Die Gemeinde, die Städte (cities), die Kommune – they often end in -e or have it in their stem and take "die".

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine:
1. A community administration (Verwaltung der Kommune) working in the town hall. 🏛️
2. A group sharing everything; they communicate a lot in their Kommune (intentional community). 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

🔄 Similar and Opposing Terms

⚠️ Potential Confusion

The word "Kommune" sounds similar to the verb "kommunizieren" (to communicate). Although both derive from the Latin 'communis' (common), their meanings are distinct. A Kommune (noun) is an entity, while kommunizieren (verb) is the act of exchanging information.

😄 A Little Joke

Frage: Warum sind Entscheidungen in der Kommune manchmal so langsam?

Antwort: Weil erst alle im Rathaus ihren Senf dazugeben müssen – und manche haben seeehr große Senftöpfe! 😉

Translation:

Question: Why are decisions in the municipality sometimes so slow?

Answer: Because everyone in the town hall has to add their two cents first – and some have veeery large mustard pots! 😉 (Note: 'Seinen Senf dazugeben' literally means 'to add one's mustard', figuratively 'to give one's unsolicited opinion / two cents'.)

📜 Poem about the Kommune

Die Kommune, groß und klein,
Soll für die Bürger Heimat sein.
Verwaltung, Rat und auch Büro,
Machen die Bürger selten froh.

Doch auch als Gruppe, bunt und frei,
Lebt man zusammen, eins, zwei, drei.
Teilt Haus und Hof und auch das Brot,
In der Kommune, ohne Not?

Translation:

The Kommune, large and small,
Should be a home for one and all.
Administration, council, office too,
Seldom make the citizens feel new.

But also as a group, colourful and free,
People live together, one, two, three.
Sharing house and yard and also bread,
In the Kommune, without dread?

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich hab' ein Rathaus, manchmal auch 'nen Strand,
bin die kleinste Einheit hier im Land.
Mal bin ich ein Dorf, mal eine Stadt,
mal eine WG, die Regeln hat.

Wer oder was bin ich?

Translation:

I have a town hall, sometimes a beach too,
I'm the smallest unit in the land, it's true.
Sometimes I'm a village, sometimes a town,
Sometimes a shared flat, with rules laid down.

Who or what am I? ... Die Kommune

🌐 More Interesting Facts

Word Origin: The word "Kommune" comes from the French word commune, which in turn derives from the Latin communis (“common”). This reflects both meanings: the common administration of an area and the communal living of a group.

Historical Context: The term gained particular significance through the Paris Commune of 1871, a revolutionary city council that briefly governed Paris. The alternative living communities of the 1960s/70s also shaped the image of the "Kommune" as a social entity.