heiligen

Heiligen is a German term with multiple uses in language and place names. In religious context, it is most often the plural noun for the holy ones acknowledged by Christian churches: die Heiligen, meaning the saints. The form appears in common expressions such as die Heiligen Drei Könige (the Three Wise Men) and in liturgical or hagiographic writings when referring collectively to saints.

As an adjective or part of fixed phrases, heilig derives from the same root and appears in many compound terms in German, such as heilige Schrift (Holy Scripture) or heilige Stätten (sacred sites). The word conveys notions of sacredness, reverence, and sanctity in religious discourse and artwork.

In toponymy, Heiligen occurs as a component in various place names across German-speaking regions. Such names typically reflect historical associations with a church, chapel, or sanctuary dedicated to a saint, or with a religious festival or patron. The use is largely historical and regional, and exact naming practices vary by locality.

Etymology traces Heiligen to Old High German heiligi, meaning holy, related to Proto-Germanic *hailīgą. Cognates appear in related Germanic languages, such as Dutch heilig and English holy. Over time, the form Heiligen has come to function both as a plural noun referring to saints and as a toponymic element in geographic names.

See also: Saint, Saints, Heilig, Sankt.