Vergessene

Vergessene is a German term that can be used as an adjective meaning forgotten, or as a noun referring to forgotten things or people (das Vergessene, die Vergessenen). As an adjective, vergessene describes nouns such as Geschichten, Erinnerungen, Orte, or Menschen that have not been remembered or have been neglected. The form derives from the past participle 'vergessen' and follows standard German adjective declension, so it appears as vergessene, vergessenen, etc., depending on gender, number and case.

As a noun, das Vergessene or die Vergessenen denotes something that has been forgotten or a group of people treated as forgotten. In this usage, it can refer to marginalized populations, overlooked historical events, or memory gaps in a given context, with the exact nuance varying by speaker and region.

In culture, the term is used in titles and descriptive language to evoke memory, loss, or neglect. It appears in literature, journalism, and art to underscore themes of forgetting, memory, and the fragility of recollection. The concept is related to Vergessenheit (forgetfulness), Vergesslichkeit (absent-mindedness), and Erinnerung (memory). See also related terms for broader discussion of memory and oblivion.