errichteten

Errichteten is a German verb form, not a standalone noun. It is the Präteritum (simple past) third-person plural form of errichten, meaning to erect, establish, or set up. Because German verbs in the preterite share the same ending for different subjects, errichteten can correspond to both “they erected” and, in formal address, the plural you: “you (formal) erected,” as well as “we erected” when used with wir.

Etymology and meaning: The verb errichten combines the root richten with the prefix er-, conveying a sense of bringing something into existence or completion. It is used for concrete constructions (buildings, bridges) as well as abstract establishments (institutions, organizations, monuments). In modern usage, errichten often appears in historical or formal narration, though the related perfect form is more common in everyday speech.

Grammatical notes: Errichten is a regular strong verb in its conjugation, with the Präteritum form errichtete (ich/er/sie/es), errichteten (wir/sie), and relevant endings for other persons. The corresponding past participle is errichtet, used with auxiliary haben in the Perfekt: Sie haben eine Brücke errichtet. The form errichteten should not be confused with the past participle errichtet, which serves in compound tenses.

Usage examples: Im 19. Jahrhundert errichteten die Stadtväter eine neue Universität. Die Organisation errichtete in der Hauptstadt ein zentrales Verwaltungsgebäude.

See also: Errichtung (the act of erecting or establishing), errichten in other tenses, related verbs such as bauen or gründen for similar meanings.