Wiedererlangung

Wiedererlangung is a German noun describing the act or process of regaining something that has been lost, surrendered, or taken away. The word is formed from wieder, meaning "again," and erlangen, meaning "to attain" or "to obtain."

It is used across legal, political, social, and everyday language to denote the successful retrieval or restoration of rights, property, status, freedom, or access to resources. In many contexts it implies a prior loss followed by a deliberate effort or formal process to recover what was lost.

Examples include the Wiedererlangung der Unabhängigkeit after foreign occupation, the Wiedererlangung des Eigentums through restitution, or the Wiedererlangung des Stimmrechts following the restoration of civil rights. In cultural or personal discourse, the term can describe the reclamation of credibility, reputation, or cultural heritage.

Compared with synonyms such as Rückgewinnung or Rückerlangung, Wiedererlangung emphasizes the return to a former state after a period of loss. The precise meaning depends on context, ranging from legal restitution to moral or symbolic restoration.