die  Verjährung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈjɛːʁʊŋ/

📜 What does 'die Verjährung' mean?

Die Verjährung (feminine, plural: die Verjährungen) is a legal term referring to the lapse of time after which a claim (e.g., for payment or surrender of property) can no longer be enforced in court, or a criminal offense can no longer be prosecuted. It's a legal institution intended to create legal certainty and peace by preventing claims or prosecution powers from being asserted indefinitely.

Once Verjährung occurs, the claim or the right to prosecute does not automatically cease to exist. However, the debtor or the accused gains a right to refuse performance (Leistungsverweigerungsrecht) in civil claims, or a procedural impediment (Verfahrenshindernis) arises in criminal law. It is said that the claim or the act is "verjährt" (statute-barred or time-barred).

⚠️ Important: There are different limitation periods (Verjährungsfristen) depending on the type of claim or criminal offense. These are precisely regulated by law (e.g., in the German Civil Code (BGB) or the Criminal Code (StGB)).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: die Verjährung

The word "Verjährung" is a feminine noun. The article is die.

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

The plural "die Verjährungen" is used less frequently, mostly in the context of different types of limitation rules or specific cases.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Die regelmäßige Verjährung nach BGB beträgt drei Jahre.
   The standard statute of limitations according to the BGB is three years.
2. Der Anwalt prüfte, ob bereits Verjährung eingetreten war.
   The lawyer checked whether the statute of limitations had already expired.
3. Bei Mord gibt es keine Verjährung der Strafverfolgung.
   There is no statute of limitations for the prosecution of murder.
4. Die Einrede der Verjährung muss vom Schuldner aktiv geltend gemacht werden.
   The defense of the statute of limitations must be actively raised by the debtor.

💡 Usage and Context of 'Verjährung'

The term "Verjährung" is primarily used in a legal context.

• Civil Law (Zivilrecht): This concerns the limitation of claims (e.g., purchase price claims, damage claims, warranty claims). The main regulations are found in the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch - BGB). A distinction is made, for example, between the regular limitation period (§ 195 BGB) and special periods.
• Criminal Law (Strafrecht): Here, Verjährung refers to the time limit for prosecuting offenses (Verfolgungsverjährung) and enforcing sentences (Vollstreckungsverjährung). The rules are in the Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch - StGB). Serious crimes like murder do not have a statute of limitations.
• Public Law (Öffentliches Recht): Limitation rules also exist in administrative law, e.g., for tax claims or contribution claims.

Distinction from similar terms:

• Verjährungsfrist: This is the specific period after which Verjährung occurs. Example: "Die Verjährungsfrist für diesen Anspruch beträgt drei Jahre." (The limitation period for this claim is three years.)
• Verwirkung (Laches/Estoppel): A similar legal concept where a right is lost if it hasn't been exercised for a long time and the obligated party could rely on it not being exercised anymore (time element + circumstantial element). Unlike Verjährung, Verwirkung is considered ex officio (by the court automatically).
• Ausschlussfrist (Preclusive Period): A deadline after which a right completely expires (not just its enforceability). Often must be considered ex officio.

🚨 Colloquially, "Verjährung" is sometimes used inaccurately to mean any deadline or lapse of time that isn't strictly a legal statute of limitations.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'Verjährung'

Article Mnemonic (die): Think of "deadline" (die Frist) or "the clock" (die Uhr) running out. Both are feminine in German, just like die Verjährung, which is also about time and deadlines.

Meaning Mnemonic: The word contains "-jähr-", similar to the German word for "year" (Jahr). Think of rights "vanishing over the years" - they become legally 'old' or 'expired'. Time runs out.

↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms

Related Terms (Potentially Confusing):

• Frist: A deadline or period, not necessarily a limitation period.
• Aufschub: A postponement or extension.
• Erlass: A waiver or remission of a debt by the creditor.

😄 A Little Joke

Richter zum Angeklagten: "Warum haben Sie das Geld erst nach 30 Jahren zurückgegeben?"
Angeklagter: "Naja, ich dachte, die Sache mit der Verjährung klappt vielleicht doch noch!"

Translation:
Judge to the defendant: "Why did you only return the money after 30 years?"
Defendant: "Well, I thought that maybe the statute of limitations thing would still work out!"

📜 Poem about Verjährung

Die Zeit verrinnt, das Jahr vergeht,
ein alter Anspruch, spät erspäht.
Der Schuldner lächelt leis und froh,
die Frist ist um, das Recht ist K.O.

Die Verjährung, ein Schild der Zeit,
schafft Frieden nach dem langen Streit.
Drum prüfe stets, eh' es zu spät,
ob nicht die Zeit dein Recht verweht.

Translation:
Time slips by, the year departs,
An old claim seen with late starts.
The debtor smiles, soft and glad,
The time is up, the right's gone bad.

The limitation, time's own shield,
Brings peace to fields where disputes wield.
So always check, before too late,
Lest time blows your right through the gate.

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich bin eine Frist, von Juristen erdacht,
hab' über Ansprüche und Taten Macht.
Lauf ich ab, ist's oft zu spät,
der Anspruchsteller leer ausgeht.
Im Recht schaff' ich Ruh' nach manchem Jahr.

Wer oder was bin ich wohl, ist dir klar?

Translation:
I am a deadline, by lawyers conceived,
Over claims and actions, power received.
If I expire, it's often too late,
The claimant leaves with an empty plate.
In law, I bring peace after many a year.

Who or what am I, is it clear?

Solution: die Verjährung (the statute of limitations)

📌 Other Information

Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):

The word "Verjährung" is a nominalization of the verb "verjähren" (to become statute-barred). It is composed of:

• Prefix ver-: often indicates passing, ending, or a change.
• Stem jähr: derived from "Jahr" (year), referring to the time factor.
• Suffix -ung: forms nouns from verbs, often denoting a process or state.

Trivia: The specific limitation periods (Verjährungsfristen) are a frequent subject of legal disputes and often require careful examination of the facts and relevant laws.