German word of the day: Osterfeuer
Why do I need to know
Osterfeuer
?
This word may come up as you make plans for a spring vacation or Easter celebrations in Germany.
The tradition that the term refers to is particularly popular in some regions, but most of your German friends and colleagues will be familiar with the custom, whether or not they've been to one themselves.
Origins of the German
Osterfeuer
tradition
Oster
is the adjectival form of
Ostern
- the German word for Easter - and, as you may have guessed,
feuer
means fire. Put together, an
Osterfeuer
(pronounced
like this
) is the name of an Easter bonfire.
In particular, it refers to the tradition of having a bonfire during the Easter holiday where groups of people gather to celebrate either the Christian holiday or the changing of the season.
In fact, the English word 'Easter' comes from the German word
Ostern.
One common theory is that the German word was derived from the name Eostre (also sometimes spelled Ostara), who was an Anglo-Saxon goddess thought to have been associated with the spring season and fertility.
In pre-Christian times, Germanic peoples are thought to have celebrated the end of winter around the
spring solstice
by lighting bonfires as well as engaging in feasts and dancing. In the days leading up to Easter, locals would gather branches and twigs to build a bonfire. After the fire, ashes were scattered on fields to make them fertile for the coming season.
Advertisement
When Christianity was established in Germany, it's thought that many of the springtime celebratory traditions were essentially co-opted by the church and simply took on new symbolic meanings. In the case of Easter bonfires, the fire which had once been seen as chasing away the dark winter spirits instead came to be representative of Jesus Christ.
READ ALSO:
What's on over the Easter holidays in Germany in 2025
How the
Osterfeuer
tradition lives on
For many people today, Easter bonfires have lost their religious significance and simply offer a chance to father with friends and family around the turn of the season.
The bonfire is typically lit on either Good Friday, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday, and the community gathers in the evening to enjoy food and drink around the fiery glow.
This practice is especially popular in northern Germany, with the region
around Hamburg
having a large number of
Osterfeuern
. Parts of western Germany, such as in and around North Rhine-Westphalia also have a fair amount of bonfires, and one particularly famous one if the
Osterräderlauf
(Easter wheel run) in Lügde, which sees burning wheels of oak and straw sent down a hillside.
Spectators watch as a burning wooden Easter wheel rolls down the hill in Lüdge, North Rhine-Westphalia. Burning wooden wheels have been rolled down hills as part of Easter celebrations in Lügde for many generations. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Caroline SeidSeidel-Dißmannel
That said, you can likely find an
Osterfeuer
somewhere nearby in most places in Germany. Here's
a list of some to be found in Berlin
, for example. (For other places try searching '
Osterfeuer
+ your city or region name'.)
Germany's Federal Environment Agency estimates that between 10,000 and 20,000 Easter fires are lit each year in Germany, and warns that the fires can create high levels of particular pollution in the air in certain regions.
This year,
some bonfire events may be cancelled
, as large parts of Germany are at a heightened fire risk due to an ongoing drought.
Advertisement
Use it like this:
Dieses Jahr wollen wir am Sonntagabend zum Osterfeuer gehen.
This year we plan to go to the easter bonfire on Sunday evening.
Am liebsten esse ich am Osterfeuer Stockbrot.
My favourite thing to eat at the Easter fire is bread on a stick.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
10 hours ago
- DW
Germany tackles explosive wartime legacy at sea – DW – 06/14/2025
Unexploded WWII bombs are still regularly found across Germany. But hundreds of thousands of tons of wartime munitions also lurk off its shores. Now Berlin is stepping up moves to clean up this perilous toxic waste. An estimated 1.6 million metric tons of conventional munitions lie in Germany's coastal waters alone. The vast majority is located in the North Sea; the rest in the Baltic. There are also thought to be several thousand tons of chemical weapons. Most have lain largely forgotten for 80 years or more. While headline-grabbing bomb discoveries on dry land close down entire neighborhoods and transport networks, as in the western German city of Cologne in early June, the threat is much more insidious at sea. Growing fears over contamination have prompted action. Now, a large mobile platform is planned that will autonomously retrieve old weapons from the seabed and dispose of them. The trailblazing project was presented to the international community at the UN Ocean Conference in the French city of Nice in June. "Up to now, recovery operations were only carried out in the event of imminent danger, if, for example, an undetonated bomb was at risk of exploding," said Sebastian Unger, marine conservation director at Germany's Environment Ministry (BMUKN). "Now, it is about finally tackling this problem for reasons of environmental and marine conservation, but also to ultimately reduce human health risks," added the ministery expert, talking to DW from the event. Saltwater corrosion has rusted munition casings causing them to leak TNT Image: GEOMAR TNT released by dumped WWII munitions German mines and explosives discarded by Allied bombers on their way back to Britain are among the WWII combat weapons strewn across the ocean floor. But most of the explosives in Germany's North Sea and Baltic waters ended up there after the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. British troops tipped the armaments that they found in weapons factories and warehouses into the sea. It was seen as a quick fix in the process to denazify and demilitarize Germany. In recent years, it has become apparent that they are decomposing. One visible sign of their decay is lumps of white phosphorus or an explosive mixture containing TNT occasionally washing ashore. The substances look frighteningly similar to prize amber or minerals and visitors and beachcombers have been injured. Amber is regularly found at the Baltic but white phosphorus can look quite similar Image: Andreas Franke/picture alliance Carcinogenic toxins affecting marine life Toxicological tests carried out on mussels in the dumping site over the last decade have revealed traces of carcinogenic chemicals contained in the munitions. Examination of samples gathered since the 1980s also show a steady rise from 2002 onwards. "The concentrations are very, very low. As humans we don't have to be concerned about eating these mussels. But if we go further down the line — maybe in 30, 40 years — we might have to think twice," said Edmund Maser, a toxicologist from the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), who has been involved in the research. The marine ecosystem is, however, already at risk, according to Maser. TNT traces have been found in fish and in seawater, too. And as the metal casings surrounding the munitions continue to rust, ever more will be released. GEOMAR detected munition strewn across the Bay of Lübeck in the Baltic Sea Image: Geomar/dpa/picture alliance Explosives piled up like Mikado sticks GEOMAR, the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, was asked by the Schleswig-Holstein state government in 2016 to help find out what weapons were down there and their possible environmental impact. They have been using a variety of acoustic and visual technologies, which they have continued to develop during the ongoing pilot phase. The results have been mind-boggling. "There is munition there, crates of it. One area is 20 by 40 meters in size where munition boxes are stacked up on the seabed, as if they've just been unloaded from a truck. In another spot there were a lot of bombs, 50 to 250 kilogram bombs, piled up like Mikado sticks," Jens Greinert, GEOMAR marine geologist, told DW. Small caliber ammunition, pistols and rocket launchers were also discovered. The challenges of the shifting marine environment and the sheer mix of munitions on the seabed make the recovery process complicated as well as hazardous. The material inside can still explode — and there is always the risk of the release of toxic chemicals, such as TNT, during the retrieval and disposal process. GEOMAR and UKSH will also be part of the team monitoring the clean-up. With autonomous underwater vehicles like these, GEOMAR can make photographic charts of the seabed Image: Julia Gehringer/GEOMAR Ticking time bomb German environmental organization NABU began drawing attention to the problem in 2007 and is calling for the clean-up operation to get underway as soon as possible. "We don't really have a lot more time. The decomposition is, in part, at a more progressed stage than we were hoping. Of course, the problem exists on land, too. But toxins remain localized there, while in the sea they continue to spread and enter the food chain," Kim Detloff, NABU head of marine conservation, said in an interview with DW. The NABU expert said there remained a problem with ongoing financing of the long-term operation of the planned platform. "It needs to be working 365 days 24/7," said Detloff. And he added that the enormous scale of the problem meant that far more than one floating platform was needed. Poland: The WWII threats lurking in the Baltic Sea To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Technology transfer to other contaminated marine areas in the world The pilot and next phase of the munitions recovery project were financed with a €100 million emergency program from the federal government. The groundbreaking salvaging and dismantling platform should be ready for deployment by late 2026 or early 2027, according to the BMUKN's Unger. He hopes such approaches will be adopted in other parts of the world. In German waters, operations are likely to prioritize particularly ecologically sensitive areas, fish spawning grounds or areas close to the coast that are of particular interest to the tourist industry, but that is still under consideration, according to Unger. Edited by Helen Whittle While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
Local Germany
a day ago
- Local Germany
German word of the day: Zugewandt
Some German words, like lieb (kind) and wunderbar (wonderful) sound so much like their meaning that they enter our daily vocabulary almost without any effort on our part. Other words, like zugewandt , give up next to nothing at first glance. For non-native speakers, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either. Which is a shame because zugewandt is the perfect compliment to give someone when they've been there for you in a pinch or made you feel like a million dollars. What does it mean? Pronounced like this , the German adjective zugewandt literally means "turned toward" or "facing". In everyday language, however, it's often used metaphorically to describe someone who is warm, open, and supportive. Above all, it means attentive – in the sense of showing interest in a person, listening to them carefully, and generally appearing excited at the prospect of spending time with them. Why should I know Zugewandt ? The German language is brilliant at expressing abstract concepts and complex ideas with precision. When it comes to expressing emotions and offering compliments, however, it can sometimes feel a little cold – which is why Zugewandt is such a great word to know. We all need to feel seen and heard sometimes, after all. Advertisement For people struggling to learn German, Zugewandt also provides a useful window into how the language works. Zugewandt is the past participle of wenden, the German verb for 'turn' – which will already be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the country. Die Wende ('the turn') is the expression used throughout Germany to describe the moment when the Berlin Wall fell and everything in the country changed overnight. Among German verbs, wenden is a Swiss army knife. Just as we can 'turn' something 'on', 'up', 'over', and 'out' in English, wenden performs a similarly multi-purpose role in German. Abwenden means 'to avert', Anwenden means 'to use', aufwenden means 'to expend', and umwenden means 'to flip over'. Related adjectives include: Gewandt – skilled or agile Aufwendig – tiring Abgewandt – someone who is distant (the opposite of zugewandt ) Advertisement Use it like this: Sie hat eine zugewandte Haltung. She has a way of making people feel special. (Literally: She has a caring or open attitude.) Es ist vollkommen verständlich, dass du verwirrt bist, wenn er sich mal nett und zugewandt zeigt und dann wieder abweisend wirkt. It's completely understandable that you're confused when he's nice and gives you his full attention one minute and then seems distant the next. Er ist wirklich zugewandt. Wenn er mir zuhört, fühle ich mich wie der interessanteste Mensch der Welt. He's really attentive. When he listens to me, I feel like the most interesting person in the world.
DW
3 days ago
- DW
Avant-garde nail art creator, Günther Uecker, dies aged 95 – DW – 06/11/2025
Günther Uecker was a prominent figure in postwar German art and a key member of the contemporary ZERO art movement. Nails. Thousands of completely normal nails, each one driven into a wooden board covered with linen. Some straight, some slanted, but none hammered in all the way. Sewing machines, chairs, record players and grand pianos have also borne the brunt of those little shafts of steel. Artist Günther Uecker, who has died on June 10 at the age of 95, became famous in Germany and beyond through his nail reliefs. Hardly any other artist has equally dedicated his work to the craft of simple physical labor. Even during the last years of his life, he was still hammering nails into backdrops and objects with force and precision. Günther Uecker created reliefs that he termed "nail fields." The works achieve their full effect in the play of light and shadow. Over 50 years of nail fields: Günther Uecker in 1965 Image: dpa/picture-alliance A life of war and peace Born in the of town of Wendorf near Schwerin in northeastern Germany on March 13, 1930, Günther Uecker found himself boarding up doors and windows of his family house at age 15 in an effort to protect his mother and sister from the Russian army at war's end. It was the beginning of a life-long preoccupation with hammers and nails. Post-World War II, he studied pictorial arts from 1949 until 1953 in Wismar, then in East Germany. In 1955 he fled to West Berlin and eventually found himself at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf, studying under Professor Otto Pankok from 1955-57. During his studies he encountered the artists Heinz Mack and Otto Piene and joined their artists' conglomerate named ZERO in 1961. Together they represented a "zero hour" of art untouched by the horrors of the Second World War, marking a new beginning in art history. Timeless art, nailed and painted The avant-garde artists' group made waves far beyond Germany and their time. ZERO's ideas have undergone a renaissance in the new millennium, with ZERO retrospectives staged regularly worldwide since 2004. Back in 1966, no one could have anticipated the group's future popularity. It dissolved soon afterwards, and the artists went their separate ways. Meanwhile, Günther Uecker's abstract art has been shown in over 60 countries and frequently been considered pioneering. In 2012 he became the first Western artist to be exhibited in the Iranian capital Tehran since the 1979 revolution. In 2007 came an exhibition in Beijing originally scheduled for 1994. On invitation from the Chinese government, Uecker had prepared the conceptual artwork "Letter to Beijing." In this work, the UN Declaration of Human Rights was reproduced on 19 large, freely-arranged screens, but the words were partially rendered unrecognizable by black paint. However, on short notice, the Chinese culture ministry cancelled the show in 1994, explaining that the people were not yet ready for his art. Uecker was permitted to exhibit in China 18 years later. Humanist artistic ideals "Letter to Beijing" isn't the only work in which Uecker addressed human rights violations. In "Verletzungsworte" (Words That Hurt), on display in various cities of the world since 1993, 60 words like "hitting," "despising" and "gassing" that describe physical and psychological abuse are translated into local languages and painstakingly added by Uecker to the artwork. Günther Uecker's art is understood — and esteemed — worldwide and in the most diverse cultures. Asked what makes it so universal, Uecker once volunteered his own explanation: "I'm often told that the humane character recognizable in my work stirs peoples' feelings." This article was originally written in German and is an updated version of a profile of the artist for his 90th birthday.
