historisch
historical
Relating to history or past events; historically documented.
EXAMPLE
Das Museum zeigt historische Dokumente aus dem 18. Jahrhundert.
The museum displays historical documents from the 18th century.
historisch
historical
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Meanings
historisch
historic
Of such great significance that it is likely to go down in history; historically momentous.
EXAMPLE
Die Unterzeichnung des Friedensvertrags war ein historischer Moment.
The signing of the peace treaty was a historic moment.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'historisch' (historical) belongs to the word family around 'die Historie' (history as an academic discipline). A person who works in this field is 'der Historiker' (male historian) or 'die Historikerin' (female historian).
EXAMPLE
Ein Historiker erforscht historische Ereignisse.
A historian researches historical events.
Context clue
The meaning of 'historisch' (historical/historic) depends on the context. If it refers to something from the past, it means 'geschichtlich' (historical, e.g. a building). If it describes a current event, it means 'geschichtsträchtig' (historic/momentous, e.g. a victory).
EXAMPLE
Wir besichtigten die historische Altstadt.
We visited the historic old town.
Typical collocations
In the sense of 'relating to the past', 'historisch' (historical) often appears with nouns such as 'Gebäude' (building), 'Dokument' (document), 'Roman' (novel), 'Kontext' (context), or 'Quelle' (source).
EXAMPLE
Für meine Recherche benötige ich historische Quellen aus dem Archiv.
For my research, I need historical sources from the archive.
Typical collocations
When something is described as 'geschichtsträchtig' (historic/momentous), typical combinations are 'ein historischer Moment' (a historic moment), 'ein historischer Sieg' (a historic victory), 'ein historisches Ereignis' (a historic event), or 'eine historische Entscheidung' (a historic decision).
EXAMPLE
Der Fall der Berliner Mauer war ein historisches Ereignis für Deutschland.
The fall of the Berlin Wall was a historic event for Germany.
Compare with
historisch vs antik
ancient / antique
Both words can be used for old objects. Antik mainly emphasizes a very old age and often special value, while historisch emphasizes a connection to history or historical significance. Use antik for the age and historisch for the historical significance.
historisch
Der alte Schreibtisch ist historisch bedeutsam, weil hier wichtige Verhandlungen stattfanden.
The old desk is historically significant because important negotiations took place here.
antik
Der alte Schreibtisch ist antik und steht seit vielen Jahren im Museum.
The old desk is antique and has been on display in the museum for many years.
In real life
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