Stationen

Stationen is the plural form of Station in German, used to denote physical stops in a network as well as figurative stages or steps in a process. The term is common in everyday language and appears across various domains, from transportation to education and culture. In many contexts, Stationen imply discrete, recognizable places or phases that mark progress or transition.

Etymology and usage. The word originates from the Latin statio (standing, position) and entered German via French station or through general European linguistic contact. In German, Stationen can refer to concrete locations, such as parts of a transit system, or to abstract moments in development or planning.

Contexts and examples. In transportation, Stationen refers to individual stops within trains, buses, or tram networks, where passengers board, alight, or transfer. In healthcare, the term is used for hospital wards or departments; patients move between Stationen during treatment, and staffing or logistics may reference station changes. In education, Lernstationen or Stationenlernen describes a method in which learning tasks are organized at separate stations, enabling students to rotate through activities and work at their own pace. In religious and cultural contexts, Kreuzwegstationen (stations of the Cross) represent the sequence of fourteen or more contemplative stops in the devotional practice.

See also. Related terms include Station (singular), Lernstation, Kreuzweg, and Umsteigestationen, which reflect the term’s broad applicability to places, steps, or milestones.

Overall, Stationen functions as a flexible label for discrete units of space or progression, adaptable to practical and symbolic uses in German.