Bürger

Bürger is a German noun meaning a citizen or townsman. In everyday use it refers to a person who belongs to a city, town, or political community and who has or is entitled to certain civic rights. The term has also carried social and historical meaning, notably as the marker of an urban middle class in historical contexts.

Historically, burgers were free townsfolk distinct from rural peasants and the nobility. In medieval and early modern German-speaking lands, the Bürgerschaft (the body of citizens) granted legal privileges and a say in municipal governance, trade, and defense. Over time, Bürger came to denote the urban social group that formed the basis of civic life, and it contributed to the development of bourgeois culture in many German-speaking areas.

In modern usage, Bürger can reference citizens in a legal, civic, or everyday sense. It appears in compound terms such as Bürgerrecht (civil rights), Staatsbürgerschaft (nationality), and Bürgermeister (mayor). The gender-inclusive form Bürgerinnen und Bürger is standard for referring to both men and women. In some contexts, Mitbürger (fellow citizens) or Bürgerin (female citizen) are used, and Bürgerinitiative describes citizen-initiated political action.

Regional variations exist. In Swiss German, the term can connect to historical structures such as the Bürgergemeinde, a citizenship-based community distinct from the civil municipality, while in Austria and other German-speaking areas the word retains its urban-origin sense and remains common in law, politics, and culture. Overall, Bürger remains a foundational term for describing urban citizenship and civic life.