ministry
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ministry
The highest administrative authority of a state or federal state that is responsible for a specific area of politics and is led by a male or female minister.
Das Bundesministerium für Gesundheit ist für die Gesundheitspolitik zuständig.
The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for health policy.
The word is made up of 'Minister' (minister) and the Latin ending '-ium', which often denotes a place or an institution. A 'Ministerium' (ministry) is therefore literally the place or organization of a minister.
Ein Minister leitet ein Ministerium.
A minister leads a ministry.
The preposition often reveals the meaning. 'Im Ministerium arbeiten' (to work in the ministry) refers to the institution. 'Ins Ministerium gehen' (to go into the ministry) or 'vor dem Ministerium stehen' (to stand in front of the ministry building) refers to the building.
Sie arbeitet seit zehn Jahren im Ministerium für Bildung.
She has worked at the Ministry of Education for ten years.
To name the exact area of responsibility, the structure 'Ministerium für ...' (Ministry of/for ...) followed by a noun in the accusative is used. For federal authorities in Germany, 'Bundes-' (federal) often appears before it.
Das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz hat neue Richtlinien erlassen.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action issued new guidelines.
In news reports and official texts, ministries are often abbreviated with acronyms, e.g. 'BMG' for 'das Bundesministerium für Gesundheit' (the Federal Ministry of Health). Knowing these abbreviations helps when reading German news.
Laut einer Mitteilung des BMG sollen die Impfzentren länger geöffnet bleiben.
According to a statement from the BMG, the vaccination centers are to remain open longer.
office / agency
'das Amt' and 'das Ministerium' can both be government offices. 'Amt' is used more for a public authority that handles concrete administrative tasks for citizens, for example applications, ID cards, or registrations. A 'Ministerium' is a very high-level authority responsible for a political area, for example education, health, or transport. The words can be confused because both belong to the state. For everyday situations with forms and appointments, people usually say 'Amt'. For politics, laws, and major decisions, 'Ministerium' fits better.
Das Ministerium plant neue Regeln für Schulen im ganzen Bundesland.
The ministry is planning new rules for schools across the entire federal state.
Auf dem Amt hat Jan seine neue Adresse angemeldet.
At the public office, Jan registered his new address.