Gänge

Gänge is the plural form of the German noun Gang. In German, the word has two common meanings that depend on context: architectural spaces and culinary courses. The plural form is used whenever multiple instances of these spaces or courses are being referred to. The term can also appear in compound expressions or place names.

In architecture and everyday buildings, Gänge denote corridors or passageways that connect rooms, wings, or levels. They can be narrow hallways in houses, offices, or public buildings, and are a common feature in historic structures where long galleries or interconnected passages form a network through a complex. In descriptions of castles, palaces, or monasteries, one may speak of the “Gänge des Schlosses” (the corridors of the castle) or similar phrases in reference to multiple passageways.

In gastronomy, a Gang is a course in a meal. The first course is often called the “erste Gang,” the main course the “Hauptgang,” and subsequent courses may include soups, salads, or desserts. A multi-course menu, or tasting menu, may consist of several Gänge, guiding the sequence in which dishes are served. The term is common in restaurant menus and dining discussions, and it is used to indicate portions and the order of service.

Etymology traces Gang to Old High German gang, meaning a path or way, with the plural Gänge following standard German pluralization. The term also appears in place names such as the Gängeviertel district in Hamburg, reflecting historical networks of passageways. Overall, Gänge commonly refers to corridors in buildings or to courses in a meal, with usage shaped by contextual cues.