posterity
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posterity
All the people who will live in the future; later generations. Often something is preserved or documented for posterity.
Der Künstler hoffte, dass seine Werke der Nachwelt erhalten bleiben.
The artist hoped that his works would be preserved for posterity.
The word is made up of 'nach' (later in time) and 'Welt' (world). So it literally describes the 'world that comes after us' or the entirety of future generations.
Historiker versuchen, wichtige Ereignisse für die Nachwelt festzuhalten.
Historians try to record important events for posterity.
'Nachwelt' (posterity) is almost always used in the singular and with the definite article 'die'. It describes the entirety of future generations as a single, collective concept.
Manche Entscheidungen werden erst von der Nachwelt wirklich beurteilt.
Some decisions are only truly judged by posterity.
'Nachwelt' (posterity) is often used in fixed expressions. Typical phrases are 'etwas für die Nachwelt erhalten' (to preserve something for posterity), 'etwas der Nachwelt hinterlassen' (to leave something to posterity), or 'etwas für die Nachwelt aufzeichnen' (to record something for posterity).
Der Dichter wollte seine Gedichte der Nachwelt hinterlassen.
The poet wanted to leave his poems to posterity.
to follow later / comply
Nachkommen and die Nachwelt both refer to something that comes later in time. Nachkommen is a verb and means that someone follows another person to a place later. Die Nachwelt, by contrast, means all the people who will live in the future. Use the verb for an action and the noun for future generations.
Wir bewahren diese Briefe für die Nachwelt auf.
We are preserving these letters for posterity.
Wir fahren schon voraus, und die Kinder kommen später nach.
We are going ahead, and the children will follow later.
