Hofburg
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Hofburg
The former imperial residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna, which today houses, among other things, the official residence of the Austrian Federal President as well as various museums.
Bei unserem Wien-Besuch haben wir natürlich auch die Hofburg besichtigt.
During our visit to Vienna, of course we also toured the Hofburg.
The name 'Hofburg' is made up of 'Hof' (in the sense of an imperial or royal court) and 'Burg' (castle, fortress). So it literally means 'the castle of the court'.
Der Kaiser hielt am liebsten in seiner Burg Hof.
The emperor preferred to hold court in his castle.
As the name of a specific, unique building, 'Hofburg' is always used with the definite article 'die'. It is a fixed proper name.
Die Hofburg ist eine der größten Touristenattraktionen in Wien.
The Hofburg is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Vienna.
The Hofburg is not a generic name, but refers to a specific, very famous building in Vienna. It is a central symbol of Austrian history and politics.
Der österreichische Bundespräsident hat seinen Amtssitz in der Hofburg.
The Austrian Federal President has his official residence in the Hofburg.
castle / lock
'Schloss' and 'Hofburg' can both refer to a large historical ruler's building. 'Schloss' is the general word for such buildings. 'Hofburg' is a proper name here: the former imperial residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna. Learners may confuse the words because the Hofburg functions like a castle or palace. But you say 'die Hofburg' when you mean this exact building in Vienna. For other buildings, you do not simply use 'Hofburg', but rather 'Schloss' or the specific name.
Die Gruppe besucht die Hofburg, weil sie mehr über Wien lernen möchte.
The group visits the Hofburg because they want to learn more about Vienna.
Im Urlaub haben wir ein Schloss auf einem Hügel besichtigt.
On vacation, we visited a castle on a hill.