confiscation
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confiscation
The official seizure or confiscation of objects by a state authority such as the police, customs, or a court.
Die Beschlagnahme der illegal importierten Waren erfolgte direkt am Hafen.
The confiscation of the illegally imported goods took place directly at the port.
The noun 'die Beschlagnahme' (confiscation) is the nominalization of the verb 'beschlagnahmen' (to confiscate). Both words belong to formal administrative language and describe the act of officially taking away property.
Der Zollbeamte musste die gefälschten Uhren beschlagnahmen.
The customs officer had to confiscate the counterfeit watches.
This word belongs to a formal register and is used mainly in legal, police, or administrative contexts. It rarely occurs in everyday speech.
Im Protokoll wurde die Beschlagnahme genau dokumentiert.
The confiscation was documented precisely in the report.
To specify what is being taken away, German usually uses the preposition 'von' followed by the dative. This construction is very common.
Die Beschlagnahme von Beweismitteln ist ein wichtiger Schritt im Ermittlungsverfahren.
The seizure of evidence is an important step in the investigation process.
expropriation
An Enteignung legally takes property from a person or company, usually for the public good and in exchange for compensation. A Beschlagnahme, by contrast, is the official seizure or confiscation of objects by an authority. It does not automatically mean that ownership is taken away for a public project.
Wegen des Verdachts auf eine Straftat ordnete das Gericht die Beschlagnahme der Unterlagen an.
Because a crime was suspected, the court ordered the seizure of the documents.
Für den Bau der neuen Bahnstrecke ordnete der Staat die Enteignung des Grundstücks gegen Entschädigung an.
To build the new railway line, the state ordered the expropriation of the land in exchange for compensation.
