Auskünfte

Auskünfte is the plural noun referring to information or answers provided in response to a question. The term can denote the information itself (eine Auskunft) or the act of informing (eine Auskunft geben). In everyday and official use, Auskünfte are supplied by authorities, public offices, businesses, and information desks.

Common contexts include public administration (Auskünfte über Verfahren, Fristen, Gesetze), travel and tourism (Öffnungszeiten, Routen), and customer service (Produkte, Vertragsbedingungen). An information desk is called eine Auskunftsstelle; a service center may be described as Auskunftsdienst or Kundendienst.

In legal and administrative contexts, the term appears in phrases such as Auskunftspflicht (duty to provide information), Auskunftsersuchen (request for information), and Auskunftsrecht (right to obtain information). In data protection, individuals may submit an Auskunftsersuchen to controllers to learn what personal data is stored about them.

Etymologie: Der Begriff leitet sich vom Wortstamm Kund- (Wissen/Information) ab und ist im Deutschen seit dem frühneuzeitlichen Sprachgebrauch belegt.

The term is used across German-speaking countries, including Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland.