die  Vertreibung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈtʁaɪ̯bʊŋ/

📜 What does "die Vertreibung" mean?

Die Vertreibung (noun, feminine) refers to the act of forcefully and permanently removing people or groups from their homeland, place of residence, or country. It's a term with strong negative connotations, often used in the context of war, ethnic cleansing, or political persecution.

In German, the word is intrinsically linked to the forced displacement of millions of Germans from the former eastern territories of the German Reich and other areas of Eastern Europe after World War II (die Vertreibung der Deutschen).

However, it can also be used more generally to describe the forceful removal of individuals from a place, e.g., the Vertreibung of tenants from a house (although more specific terms like Zwangsräumung - forced eviction - are often used here).

⚠️ Important: The term is emotionally charged and historically significant. Its use requires sensitivity.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Focus: Die Vertreibung

The noun "Vertreibung" is feminine. Therefore, the article is "die". This follows the common rule that many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine.

Declension

Example Sentences

1. Die Vertreibung aus der Heimat war für viele ein traumatisches Erlebnis.
   The expulsion from the homeland was a traumatic experience for many.
2. Die Geschichte der Vertreibungen im 20. Jahrhundert ist komplex und schmerzhaft.
   The history of expulsions in the 20th century is complex and painful.
3. Die UN verurteilt jegliche Form der gewaltsamen Vertreibung von Zivilisten.
   The UN condemns any form of violent expulsion of civilians.

🗣️ How "die Vertreibung" is Used

The term die Vertreibung is primarily used in historical, political, and legal contexts.

• Historical Context: Most commonly refers to the forced displacements after World War II or other historical mass expulsions.
• Political/Legal Context: Describes acts of forceful removal of population groups that violate international law. It's a key term in refugee law and international law.
• General Usage: Less common, but possible, for the forceful removal of people from an area or dwelling, often carrying a negative connotation of injustice.

Distinction from similar terms:

• Ausweisung (Deportation/Expulsion): Usually refers to the legal order for a foreigner to leave the country (individual).
• Abschiebung (Deportation/Removal): The physical act of enforcing an Ausweisung or refusal of entry at the border.
• Umsiedlung (Resettlement): Can also be voluntary or state-organized, not necessarily forceful.
• Evakuierung (Evacuation): Usually for protection from danger (e.g., natural disaster, war), often temporary.

Choosing the word "Vertreibung" almost always implies coercion, violence, and injustice.

🧠 Mnemonics for Vertreibung

For the article (die): Remember the ending "-ung". Nouns ending in "-ung" are almost always feminine, hence die Vertreibung. Think: "Die terrible Vertreibung."

For the meaning (forceful removal/expulsion): Think of the verb "treiben" (to drive). "Ver-treibung" intensifies this: driving someone away (ver-), chasing them out of their home.

↔️ Opposites and Similar Words

Be careful with similar-sounding words:

• Verteilung (Distribution): Handing out or spreading things (e.g., distributing flyers). Sounds similar but means something completely different.
• Vertreiben (in the sense of selling/distributing): e.g., Produkte vertreiben (to distribute products).
• Vertreiben (in the sense of passing time): Sich die Zeit vertreiben (to pass the time).

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Geist keinen festen Wohnsitz?
Wegen ständiger Vertreibung durch die Geisterjäger! 👻

Why doesn't the ghost have a permanent address?
Because of constant expulsion by the ghost hunters!
(Okay, it's rather harmless and plays on the word.)

✒️ Poem about Vertreibung

Wo Rauch aufstieg, wo Leben war,
liegt nun die Stille, sonderbar.
Die Vertreibung, kalt und hart,
riss Wurzeln aus an jenem Ort.

Ein leiser Wind durch Trümmer weht,
wo einst ein volles Leben stand und fleht.
Erinnerung, die schmerzt und bleibt,
an das, was keine Zeit vertreibt.

Where smoke arose, where life once played,
Now silence lies, strangely displayed.
The expulsion, cold and stark,
Tore roots out in that landmark.

A quiet wind through ruins blows,
Where once a full life ebbed and flowed.
A memory that hurts and stays,
Of what no passage of time erases.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Akt, oft voller Leid,
zwing Menschen fort aus ihrer Zeit,
aus Haus und Hof, aus Land und Stadt.
Mein Name endet auf "-ung", merk dir das glatt.
Ich bin feminin, das ist bekannt.
Im Geschichtsbuch oft genannt.

Was bin ich?
... Die Vertreibung

I am an act, often full of sorrow,
Forcing people away from their tomorrow,
From house and home, from land and town.
My name ends in "-ung", write it down.
I'm feminine, that's widely known.
In history books, I'm often shown.

What am I?
... Die Vertreibung (The Expulsion)

💡 Other Information

Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):

The word "Vertreibung" is composed of:

• The prefix "ver-": Here, it can indicate intensification or moving away (similar to 'verjagen' - to chase away).
• The stem of the verb "treiben": Originally meaning to move, push, drive, chase.
• The suffix "-ung": This suffix forms a noun from the verb, describing the process or result of the action. This suffix makes the noun feminine.

Historical Significance:

In Germany, the term is inextricably linked to the events after 1945. The Charter of the German Expellees (Charta der deutschen Heimatvertriebenen) from 1950 is an important historical document in this context, in which the expellees renounced revenge and retaliation.