die  Stätte

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃtɛtə/

📍 What exactly is a 'Stätte'?

The German word die Stätte (plural: die Stätten) means a site, a place, or a location. It often carries a special meaning or function, frequently with a historical, cultural, or official character. It's less commonly used for everyday places and more often for significant ones.

• Meaning 1: A place with a specific function or dedication (e.g., Gedenkstätte - memorial site, Arbeitsstätte - workplace).
• Meaning 2: A place of historical or cultural importance (e.g., Ausgrabungsstätte - excavation site, Kultstätte - place of worship).
• Meaning 3: Generally a place or location (elevated language).

🚨 Attention: In everyday language, 'Ort' or 'Platz' are often more common. 'Stätte' sounds a bit more formal or poetic.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: die Stätte

'Stätte' is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

💬 Example Sentences

1. Die Gedenkstätte erinnert an die Opfer des Krieges.
   (The memorial site commemorates the victims of the war.)
2. Archäologen entdeckten eine alte Kultstätte.
   (Archaeologists discovered an ancient place of worship.)
3. Dies ist die Stätte, an der das berühmte Gedicht entstand.
   (This is the site where the famous poem was written.)
4. Seine letzte Ruhestätte fand er auf dem Dorffriedhof.
   (He found his final resting place in the village cemetery.)

💡 How to Use 'Stätte'?

'Stätte' is often used in compound words to specify the function of the place:

• Gedenkstätte: Memorial site
• Ausgrabungsstätte: Excavation site
• Wirkungsstätte: Place of activity (e.g., of an artist)
• Arbeitsstätte: Workplace
• Kultstätte: Place of worship, cult site
• Ruhestätte: Resting place, grave site

The term is mostly used in a somewhat elevated or official context. Compared to Ort (place) or Platz (place, square), Stätte sounds more significant and less mundane. For example, you would rarely say "Ich treffe dich an der Stätte vor dem Kino" (I'll meet you at the site in front of the cinema), but rather "Ich treffe dich am Platz vor dem Kino" or "... am Ort des Treffens" (... at the meeting place).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Stätte'

Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in -e are feminine, including die Stätte. Imagine an important historical site ('Stätte') being carefully preserved by SHE (feminine 'die').

Meaning Mnemonic: 'Stätte' sounds a bit like the English word 'stätte' -> 'state' or 'status'. A 'Stätte' often has a special 'status' or is a significant place within a 'state'. Or think 'Stätte' sounds like 'stay' - it's a place where you stay or where something significant stays.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Sounding Words

• Stadt (die): City or town. A 'Stätte' can be located within a 'Stadt'.
• Statt (preposition/conjunction): Means 'instead of'.

😂 A Little Joke

Lehrer: "Wo liegt die berühmteste Ausgrabungsstätte der Welt?"
Schüler: "Im Sandkasten hinter unserem Haus!"

Translation:
Teacher: "Where is the most famous excavation site in the world located?"
Student: "In the sandbox behind our house!"

📜 A Short Poem

An alter Stätte, grau und leer,
weht der Wind Geschichten her.
Von Königen und Rittersleut',
aus längst vergang'ner Zeit.

Die Mauern flüstern leis und sacht,
was hier geschah bei Tag und Nacht.
Ein stiller Zeuge, Stein auf Stein,
lässt uns in Ehrfurcht schweigsam sein.

Translation:
At the old site, grey and bare,
the wind brings tales through the air.
Of kings and knights of old,
from times long past, stories told.

The walls whisper soft and low,
of what happened here, long ago.
A silent witness, stone by stone,
leaves us in awe, quietly alone.

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Ort, doch nicht profan,
hab oft Geschichte, einen Plan.
Man ehrt mich, gräbt hier, forscht und schafft,
hab eine eig'ne Namenskraft.
Ob Arbeit, Ruh' ob alter Kult,
ich trage dies mit viel Geduld.

Was bin ich?
(Answer: die Stätte)

Translation:
I am a place, but not mundane,
Often have history, a plan, a fane.
People honor me, dig here, research, create,
I have my own power of name, sealed by fate.
Be it work, rest, or ancient rite,
I bear all this with patient might.

What am I?
(Answer: the site / die Stätte)

🌐 Other Information

Word Origin: 'Stätte' is closely related to German words like 'stehen' (to stand), 'Stadt' (city), and the Old High German 'stat' (place, location). It originally denoted a fixed location or place.

Common Compounds:

• Gedenkstätte (Memorial site)
• Betriebsstätte (Business establishment, premises)
• Wohnstätte (Dwelling place, residence)
• Produktionsstätte (Production site)
• Heilstätte (Sanatorium, health resort)
• Tagungsstätte (Conference venue)

These compounds highlight the often specific and official nature of the word.