fächer

Fächer is a German noun with several common meanings. The most frequent use is as the plural of Fach, meaning a subject or discipline. In schools and universities, Fächer denote fields of study and the corresponding departments or curricula. Courses, examinations, and grade reports are often organized by Fächer, such as Mathematik or Deutsch.

Fächer also means folding hand fans. A fan is a portable device used to create airflow for cooling or to accompany fashion and ceremonial occasions. Folding fans have a frame of sticks, typically wood or bamboo, connected by a flexible material such as paper or silk. When opened, the leaves spread out into a fan-shaped surface; when closed, they collapse into a compact bundle. Fans have a long history in many cultures, with East Asian origins and later widespread use in Europe, especially from the 17th to the 19th century. They vary in size, decoration, and construction, and in some contexts convey symbolic messages, sometimes called the language of the fan.

In architecture and art, Fächer can appear in the sense of fan-shaped forms. In Gothic architecture, the term Fächergewölbe refers to rib vaults whose arches radiate like a fan. The concept also appears in decorative design and furniture, where divisions or compartments can be described as Fächer in a broader sense.