Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
privatöffentlich
English translation:
private-public
Added to glossary by
Thomas Atzert
May 25, 2006 07:29
18 yrs ago
German term
privatöffentlich
German to English
Social Sciences
Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
from the book "Wo Deutschland liegt - Eine Ortsbestimmung" by Günther Gaus:
"Die stärkste Wurzel für das unbehagliche Empfinden der Bundesbürger auf Reisen in der DDR [liegt] in den unverfälschten Zeugnissen kleinbürgerlichen Lebensgefühls; in Mentalitäten, die im Grund nichts mit dem politischen System der DDR und dessen ökonomischen Mängeln zu tun haben, sondern damit, dass im privatöffentlichen Leben kleine Leute, wie man sagt, den Ton angeben, stilistisch, geschmacklich – mit einem Wort ungeniert."
"Die stärkste Wurzel für das unbehagliche Empfinden der Bundesbürger auf Reisen in der DDR [liegt] in den unverfälschten Zeugnissen kleinbürgerlichen Lebensgefühls; in Mentalitäten, die im Grund nichts mit dem politischen System der DDR und dessen ökonomischen Mängeln zu tun haben, sondern damit, dass im privatöffentlichen Leben kleine Leute, wie man sagt, den Ton angeben, stilistisch, geschmacklich – mit einem Wort ungeniert."
Proposed translations
(English)
3 | private-public | Thomas Atzert |
4 | the private sphere on public display | misterherrnau |
2 +1 | at a local level / in the local day-to-day / in local life | Francis Lee (X) |
3 | semi-private | Natalie Aron |
Proposed translations
3 days 12 hrs
Selected
private-public
for sure it is an oxymoron, but Mr Gaus knows how to use it: as living the private life completely in the public eye, and from that point of view "ungeniert" (which is more or less uninhibitedly without any libertine).
A problem remains: in recent times private-public also is used for selling public services to investors ("private-public partnership").
A problem remains: in recent times private-public also is used for selling public services to investors ("private-public partnership").
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!"
+1
25 mins
at a local level / in the local day-to-day / in local life
A tough one to call. It could also mean "on a personal level". Perhaps a native-speaker can clarify ...
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Ingeborg Gowans (X)
: on a daily basis : though "privatoeffentlich" is really an oxymoron
4 hrs
|
Yes, it's certainly a strange choice of word; presumably meaning those areas of public life that were not under the watchful eye of the authorities
|
6 hrs
the private sphere on public display
I think what he's saying is that this oppressive system was unable to engineer the petit bourgeois Spießbürgertum (Babbitry!) out of the Ossis, so that Wessis traveling in the DDR were shocked on being confronted with something that was apparently part of a shared "national character."
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
archtrans
: or conversely, that they found that "kleine Leute" determined what went on in public life; that small-mindedness was so pervasive?
4 hrs
|
1 day 34 mins
semi-private
... people in their semi-private lives...
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