crowning / coronation
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crowning achievement
The high point or perfect conclusion of something positive. It can also be used ironically to refer to the negative peak of a series of annoyances.
Der Gewinn der Weltmeisterschaft war die Krönung seiner langen Karriere.
Winning the World Championship was the crowning achievement of his long career.
The word 'Krönung' (crowning/coronation) is derived from the verb 'krönen' (to crown), which in turn comes from 'die Krone' (the crown). The ending '-ung' turns the act of crowning into a noun.
Der König wird morgen in einer feierlichen Zeremonie gekrönt.
The king will be crowned tomorrow in a solemn ceremony.
'Die Krönung' (the crowning achievement) is often used ironically to describe the negative high point of a series of bad events. It is usually introduced with the phrase 'zur Krönung des Ganzen' (to top it all off).
Zuerst habe ich den Zug verpasst, und zur Krönung des Ganzen fing es dann auch noch an zu regnen.
First I missed the train, and to top it all off, it then started raining too.
In the figurative meaning of 'Höhepunkt' (high point), 'Krönung' (crowning achievement) often appears with a genitive or the preposition 'von' (of) to describe what it is the high point of.
Das Feuerwerk war die Krönung des Stadtfestes.
The fireworks were the crowning achievement of the town festival.
You can recognize the ceremonial meaning from words like 'König' (king), 'Königin' (queen), or 'Zeremonie' (ceremony). The figurative meaning as 'Höhepunkt' (high point) refers to contexts such as a career, sports, an event, or an evening.
Die Krönung des Prinzen findet in der alten Kathedrale statt.
The coronation of the prince will take place in the old cathedral.
completion / degree
'der Abschluss' and 'die Krönung' can both come at the end of something. 'der Abschluss' is neutral and simply means the end or finale. 'die Krönung', on the other hand, means a special high point, often the most beautiful or important moment at the end. It can also be used ironically for the worst point in an annoying series of events. Learners may confuse the words because both can describe an ending. If you are talking about the end in a purely factual way, 'Abschluss' is correct; if the ending is being evaluated very strongly, 'Krönung' fits.
Das Konzert im Park war die Krönung unseres Urlaubs.
The concert in the park was the highlight of our vacation.
Der Abschluss des Projekts hat länger gedauert als geplant.
The conclusion of the project took longer than planned.