Einheit

Einheit is a German noun meaning unity, oneness, or wholeness. It denotes the state of being indivisible, or the coherence among parts within a system. The word derives from Middle High German einheit, from ein ("one") and -heit ("state, quality").

Common uses cover social and political cohesion, mathematical and scientific standardization, and philosophical or theological concepts. In everyday language it can refer to national or cultural unity, or the absence of division. In philosophy and theology, Einheit is the idea of wholeness and the unity of a process, a consciousness, or the Church. Ecumenical discussions use terms like die Einheit der Kirche.

Mathematics and science use related senses as well. In mathematics the term is linked to the unit element (the identity element) in an algebraic structure, and to the concept of a standard unit of measurement (Maßeinheit) or to the identity matrix (Einheitsmatrix).

Historically the phrase Deutsche Einheit denotes the German reunification in 1990, while the concept appears in discussions of political unification, national integration, and standardized systems across regions or institutions. The word also appears in broader discussions of unity in culture, law, and organizational policy.

See also: Deutsche Einheit; Einheit (philosophy); Maßeinheit.