öffentliche Hand

• Öffentliche Hand

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öffentliche Hand f (definite nominative die öffentliche Hand, genitive öffentlicher Hand, definite genitive der öffentlichen Hand, no plural)

1. the public sector (especially as an actor; especially in a financial context)

   in öffentlicher Hand sein ― to be publicly-owned, to be owned by (some level of) the governmenmt

   für die öffentliche Hand arbeiten ― to work in the public sector

   • 1997 March 18, “Waigel dementiert Pläne einer Euro-Verschiebung”, in Der Tagesspiegel‎^[1], archived from the original on 2 September 2025:

     Gleichzeitig wird aber die Gesamtverschuldung der Öffentlichen Hand in Deutschland vermutlich über die in Maastricht tolerierten 60 Prozent des BIP steigen.

     However, at the same time, the total debt accrued by the public sector in Germany will likely exceed the limit of 60% of GDP that is tolerated in Maastricht.

• Outside of the phrase "in öffentlicher Hand", this term very often used with a definite article.
• The öffentliche Hand is typically framed as a singular agent, representing and personfiying the decisions of the relevant authority or bureacracy.
• The term only applies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
• It includes municipal, regional and national governments as well as any other corporate bodies under public law.

• öffentliches Recht

• “öffentliche Hand” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache