Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Loading your saved state.
domestic intelligence service
Germany's domestic intelligence service, whose task is to collect information about efforts directed against the free democratic basic order.
Der Verfassungsschutz warnt vor einer zunehmenden Gefahr durch Extremismus.
The domestic intelligence service warns of an increasing threat from extremism.
The word is composed of 'Verfassung' (constitution) and 'Schutz' (protection). It therefore literally means 'protection of the constitution' and directly describes the main task of this agency.
Die Aufgabe des Verfassungsschutzes ist es, die Demokratie zu schützen.
The task of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is to protect democracy.
'Der Verfassungsschutz' (the Office for the Protection of the Constitution) is the official name of Germany's domestic intelligence service. It is therefore not a general term, but a specific state institution.
Der jährliche Bericht des Verfassungsschutzes wird öffentlich diskutiert.
The annual report of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is publicly debated.
Common formulations are that the Verfassungsschutz 'vor etwas warnt' (warns about something), 'etwas beobachtet' (monitors something), or that a group 'vom Verfassungsschutz beobachtet wird' (is monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution).
Die Organisation steht seit Jahren unter Beobachtung durch den Verfassungsschutz.
The organization has been under observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution for years.
intelligence service
'der Verfassungsschutz' and 'der Geheimdienst' both have to do with the state gathering information for security purposes. 'Geheimdienst' is the more general term for such organizations, including in other countries or abroad. 'der Verfassungsschutz' is a specific German domestic intelligence service. It mainly monitors groups or individuals who could endanger the democratic order. The words can be confusing because the Verfassungsschutz works like an intelligence service. More precisely, though: every Verfassungsschutz is an intelligence service, but not every Geheimdienst is the Verfassungsschutz.
Der Verfassungsschutz beobachtet eine Gruppe, die gegen die demokratische Ordnung arbeitet.
The domestic intelligence service is monitoring a group that is working against the democratic order.
In dem Film sammelt ein Geheimdienst geheime Informationen über ein anderes Land.
In the film, an intelligence service gathers secret information about another country.