bewahrten

Bewahrten is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the German verb bewahren, meaning to preserve, keep safe, protect, or store. In narrative or formal prose, bewahrten indicates that someone preserved or safeguarded something in the past. The corresponding past participle is bewahrt, and other forms include ich bewahrte, du bewahrtest, er bewahrte, wir bewahrten, ihr bewahrtet, sie bewahrten. The form bewahrten is used with plural subjects, for example: Die Bewohner bewahrten die Vorräte sorgfältig. The nuance is that the action has been completed in the past, as opposed to aufbewahren, which emphasizes storage or safekeeping more directly.

Etymology and related terms: bewahren derives from Old High German and shares roots with related Germanic verbs for keeping, guarding, and protecting. Related terms include bewahren (to preserve in general), aufbewahren (to store away or safeguard in a specific place), Erhaltung (preservation), and Schutz (protection).

Usage notes: Bewahren can take direct objects such as Ruhe (calm), Vorräte (supplies), or Erbe (heritage). It is common in historical or literary writing to encounter bewahrten in the past tense, while in everyday speech the present tense forms are more frequent. The distinction between bewahren and aufbewahren lies in nuance: bewahren emphasizes protection and integrity, while aufbewahren emphasizes safekeeping or storage.

See also: bewahren, aufbewahren, Erhaltung, Schutz, Ruhe bewahren.

Examples: Die Verantwortlichen bewahrten in der Krise die Ruhe. Die Bewohner bewahrten die Vorräte sorgfältig. In historischen Berichten bewahrten diese Maßnahmen das historische Erbe der Stadt.