die  Strafkammer

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃtʁaːfˌkamɐ/

🏛️ What exactly is a Strafkammer?

The word Strafkammer is a term from the German judicial system. It refers to a specific division or chamber (Spruchkörper) within a regional court (Landgericht) responsible for hearing and deciding criminal cases (Strafsachen). It handles more serious criminal offenses that cannot be tried at the lower local court (Amtsgericht).

There are different types of Strafkammern, for example:

• Große Strafkammer (large criminal chamber, responsible for felonies and more serious misdemeanors)
• Kleine Strafkammer (small criminal chamber, responsible for appeals against judgments of the lay judge court at the Amtsgericht)
• Jugendkammer (juvenile chamber, equivalent to the Strafkammer for juvenile criminal cases)
• Wirtschaftsstrafkammer (economic crimes chamber, specializing in white-collar crime)

The article is always die because the base word Kammer (chamber) is a feminine noun in German.

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Strafkammer

The noun „Strafkammer“ is feminine. The article is „die“.

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

Example Sentences

1. Die große Strafkammer verurteilte den Angeklagten zu einer langen Haftstrafe.
   (The large criminal chamber sentenced the defendant to a long prison term.)
2. Die Entscheidung der kleinen Strafkammer wurde angefochten.
   (The decision of the small criminal chamber was appealed.)
3. Der Fall wurde an die zuständige Strafkammer verwiesen.
   (The case was referred to the competent criminal chamber.)

⚖️ How is Strafkammer used?

The term Strafkammer is used almost exclusively in a legal context, particularly concerning the structure and jurisdiction of German courts (especially the Landgericht, or regional court).

• Context: Court proceedings, criminal law, judicial organization.
• Audience: Legal professionals (judges, prosecutors, lawyers), court staff, but also in media reporting on court cases.
• Distinction: A Strafkammer is part of a Gericht (court, e.g., Landgericht). It's more specific than the general term Gericht. It should be distinguished from the Zivilkammer (civil chamber for civil law cases).

In everyday language outside of legal circles, the word is rarely used.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Remembering the Article „die“

Think of a chamber, a specific chamber for 'die Strafe' (the punishment). Since 'Kammer' (chamber) is feminine ('die Kammer'), 'Strafkammer' also remains feminine: die Strafkammer.

Remembering the Meaning

Break it down: Strafe (punishment) + Kammer (chamber/division). Imagine a chamber (a room or a division) in the courthouse specifically dealing with punishments, meaning criminal proceedings. A chamber for punishment.

🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms & Similar Words

⚠️ Similar but Different Terms:

• Gericht: General term for 'court' (e.g., Amtsgericht, Landgericht). A Strafkammer is a part of a Gericht.
• Staatsanwaltschaft: The 'public prosecutor's office', the prosecuting authority, not the judging body.
• Straflager: 'Penal camp', a place of imprisonment, unrelated to the judicial chamber.

😂 A Little Joke

Richter: „Angeklagter, sagen Sie mal, warum haben Sie die Leute auf dem Zebrastreifen überfahren?“
Angeklagter: „Herr Richter, da stand doch ein Schild: ‚Hier können Sie Ihre Punkte abbauen!‘“

(Judge: 'Defendant, tell me, why did you run over the people on the pedestrian crossing?' Defendant: 'Your Honor, there was a sign saying: ‘Here you can reduce your points!’')

(Note: This joke plays on 'Punkte' meaning both 'points' on a driving license and 'points' in a metaphorical sense. Such a case would likely be heard by a Strafkammer.)

📜 A Poem about the Chamber

Im Saal, wo Recht gesprochen wird,
Die Waage oft nach Wahrheit irrt.
Die Strafkammer, ernst und klar,
Entscheidet Schicksal, Jahr für Jahr.
Beweise, Zeugen, Wortgefecht,
Am Ende steht ein Urteil, schlicht und recht?

In halls where justice holds its sway,
The scales of truth might often stray.
The Criminal Chamber, stern and clear,
Decides on fate, year after year.
With evidence, witnesses, words contend,
A judgment waits, just in the end?

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin kein Keller und kein Raum zum Wohnen,
doch über Schuld und Sühne tun hier Richter thronen.
Am Landgericht bin ich zu Haus,
und spreche Urteile in Strafsachen aus.

Wer bin ich?

(I'm not a cellar and no room to reside,
But over guilt and penance, judges here preside.
At the regional court, I make my base,
And issue judgments in a criminal case.

Who am I?)

Solution: die Strafkammer (the criminal chamber)

🧩 Word Composition and Trivia

The word Strafkammer is a compound noun, composed of:

• Strafe (f.): 'Punishment' or 'penalty' for an unlawful act.
• Kammer (f.): Originally 'chamber' or 'room', used here in the sense of a 'division', 'board', or 'panel' (compare Handelskammer - Chamber of Commerce, Ärztekammer - Medical Association).

Trivia: The composition of a Strafkammer (i.e., the number of professional judges and lay judges, called Schöffen) varies depending on the type of chamber (e.g., Große Strafkammer) and the stage of the proceedings.