Überliefernden

Überliefernden is a German term used in anthropology, ethnology, folklore, and religious studies to denote individuals or groups that preserve and transmit a community’s traditional knowledge, stories, rituals, and beliefs across generations. The word comes from überliefern, meaning to hand down or transmit. As an agent noun, Überliefernder (singular) or Überliefernde (plural) designates the transmitter or keeper of tradition, with die Überliefernden commonly used for the plural.

Their role typically includes safeguarding myths, genealogies, customary laws, songs, calendars, and other forms of cultural memory. Überliefernde may act as storytellers, ritual specialists, archivists of memory, or custodians of local norms and practices. They often rely on oral transmission and performative practice, sustaining knowledge in contexts where written records are scarce or valued differently. Authority and legitimacy among the Überliefernden derive from lineage, apprenticeship, age, or recognized expertise within the community, rather than formal institutions alone.

In scholarly usage, the concept highlights how communities organize and authorize the transmission of knowledge across generations. It also emphasizes the relational, contextual, and tacit character of much traditional knowledge, which is embedded in performance, language, and social practice. Contemporary challenges facing the Überliefernden include language loss, migration and diaspora, modernization, and the pressures of global media. Efforts to document or revitalize tradition increasingly seek to involve the bearers themselves, ensuring consent, benefit, and respect for ownership of cultural heritage.