# German — Transport and Insurance Sub-Lexicon

Combines German-language transport and insurance vocabulary. Part 1 covers maritime, road, rail, air and multimodal transport: carriage contracts, bills of lading, charterparties, freight forwarding, carrier liability. Part 2 covers insurance contracts, life and non-life lines, reinsurance, brokers, claims handling and regulatory framework. Marine/transport insurance (cargo, hull, P&I, carrier liability) sits at the intersection.

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## Part 1 — Transport and Shipping

Auto-generated from translation experience. Maps German shipping and transport legal terms
to their correct English equivalents.

## Core Shipping Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Frachtvertrag / Beförderungsvertrag | contract of carriage / contract of affreightment |
| Seefrachtvertrag | contract of carriage by sea |
| Chartervertrag / Charterpartie | charter party |
| Zeitcharter | time charter |
| Reisecharter | voyage charter |
| Bareboat-Charter / Schiffsmiete | bareboat charter / demise charter |
| Konnossement / Frachtbrief (See) | bill of lading (B/L) |
| Seekonnossement | ocean bill of lading |
| Bordkonnossement | on-board bill of lading |
| Übernahmekonnossement | received-for-shipment bill of lading |
| Durchkonnossement | through bill of lading |
| Konnossement an Order | order bill of lading |
| Seefrachtbrief | sea waybill |
| Schiffseigner / Reeder | shipowner |
| Verfrachter / Beförderer | carrier |
| Ablader / Versender | shipper |
| Empfänger | consignee |
| Ladung / Fracht | cargo / freight |
| Stückgut | general cargo |
| Massengut / Schüttgut | bulk cargo |
| Containerfracht | containerised (UK) / containerized (US) cargo |
| Ladehafen | port of loading |
| Löschhafen / Bestimmungshafen | port of discharge / port of destination |
| Liegegeld / Liegezeit | demurrage |
| Überliegezeit | detention |
| Liegezeitberechnung / Laytime | laytime |
| Dispatch / Schnellverladungsvergütung | dispatch / despatch money |
| Havarie / Haverei | average (maritime) |
| Große Havarie / Große Haverei | general average |
| Besondere Havarie / Kleine Haverei | particular average |
| Bergelohn / Bergung | salvage |

## Land Transport Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Frachtführer (Straße/Schiene) | carrier (road/rail) |
| Speditionsvertrag | freight forwarding agreement |
| Spediteur | freight forwarder |
| CMR-Frachtbrief | CMR consignment note |
| CIM-Frachtbrief | CIM consignment note |
| Multimodaler Transport / Kombinierter Verkehr | multimodal transport / combined transport |
| Transportversicherung | cargo insurance / transport insurance |
| Frachtgut / Transportgut | goods / cargo |
| Gefahrgut | dangerous goods / hazardous goods |
| Ladegewicht | loading weight |
| Zuladung / Tragfähigkeit | carrying capacity / payload |
| Umschlag / Umladung | transhipment (UK) / transshipment (US) |
| Lagervertrag | warehousing agreement / storage agreement |
| Lagerhalter | warehouseman / warehouse keeper |
| Lagerschein | warehouse receipt |

## Insurance and Liability Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Seeversicherung / Transportversicherung | marine insurance / cargo insurance |
| Kaskoversicherung (See) | hull and machinery insurance |
| P&I-Versicherung / Haftpflichtversicherung (See) | protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance |
| Gütertransportversicherung | goods-in-transit insurance |
| Haftungsbeschränkung (Seerecht) | limitation of liability (maritime law) |
| Haftungsausschluss (Transport) | exclusion of liability (transport) |
| Verschulden des Beförderers | fault of the carrier |
| Obhutshaftung / Gewahrsamsverantwortung | custody liability |
| Schadensanzeige (Transport) | notice of claim / notice of loss |
| Reklamation / Beschwerde | complaint / claim |
| Mitverschulden | contributory negligence |
| Verklarung (Seerecht) | protest (maritime) / sea protest |
| Bodmerei | bottomry (historical) |

## Port and Terminal Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Hafen | port / harbour (UK) / harbor (US) |
| Hafenbehörde | port authority |
| Terminal / Umschlagsanlage | terminal |
| Kai / Pier | quay / wharf |
| Ankerplatz | anchorage |
| Lotse / Hafenlotse | pilot / harbour (UK) / harbor (US) pilot |
| Schlepper | tug / tugboat |
| Hafengebühren | port charges / harbour (UK) / harbor (US) dues |
| Liegegebühren | berth charges |
| Lagergebühren (Hafen) | storage charges |
| Zollabfertigung | customs clearance |
| Zolllager | bonded warehouse |

## Incoterms and Trade Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Lieferbedingungen / Incoterms | delivery terms / Incoterms |
| Frei an Bord (FOB) | free on board (FOB) |
| Kosten, Versicherung, Fracht (CIF) | cost, insurance and freight (CIF) |
| Geliefert verzollt (DDP) | delivered duty paid (DDP) |
| Frei Haus / Frei Bestimmungsort | delivered at place (DAP) |
| Ab Werk (EXW) | ex works (EXW) |
| Frei Längsseite Schiff (FAS) | free alongside ship (FAS) |

## Section Headings

| German | English |
|---|---|
| VERTRAGSGEGENSTAND | SUBJECT MATTER |
| BEFÖRDERUNGSPFLICHTEN | CARRIER'S OBLIGATIONS |
| FRACHT / VERGÜTUNG | FREIGHT / REMUNERATION |
| HAFTUNG DES BEFÖRDERERS | CARRIER'S LIABILITY |
| VERSICHERUNG | INSURANCE |
| LIEFERBEDINGUNGEN | DELIVERY TERMS |
| GEFAHRÜBERGANG | PASSING OF RISK |
| SCHADENSMELDUNG | NOTICE OF CLAIM |
| ALLGEMEINE BESTIMMUNGEN | MISCELLANEOUS |

## Notes

- **HGB (Handelsgesetzbuch), Book 5**: German maritime commercial law was substantially
  reformed in 2013. The HGB now contains modernized provisions on carriage of goods by sea,
  general average, and maritime liens. Reference as "German Commercial Code (HGB)" on
  first mention.
- **CMR (Übereinkommen über den Beförderungsvertrag im internationalen Straßengüterverkehr)**:
  The Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. Germany
  is a contracting state. Reference as "CMR Convention" on first mention.
- **"Verklarung"**: A formal statement by the ship's master before a court or notary
  after an incident at sea. A specifically German-law procedure (formerly § 522 HGB).
  Translate as "sea protest" or "maritime protest".
- **"Große Havarie"**: General average — the principle that all parties to a sea voyage
  proportionally share losses resulting from a voluntary sacrifice of cargo or expenditure
  to preserve the vessel and cargo. Follow York-Antwerp Rules terminology.
- **"Spediteur" vs "Frachtführer"**: A Spediteur (freight forwarder) arranges transport;
  a Frachtführer (carrier) actually performs it. The legal regimes differ significantly
  (§§ 453-466 HGB for Spediteur, §§ 407-452d HGB for Frachtführer).

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## Part 2 — Insurance and Reinsurance

Auto-generated from translation experience. Maps German insurance legal terms to their
correct English equivalents.

## Core Insurance Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Versicherungsvertrag / Versicherungspolice | insurance policy |
| Police / Versicherungsschein | policy |
| Nachtrag (zur Police) | endorsement / rider |
| Allgemeine Versicherungsbedingungen (AVB) | general conditions / policy wording |
| Besondere Versicherungsbedingungen | particular conditions / policy schedule |
| Versicherter | insured / assured |
| Versicherungsnehmer | policyholder |
| Versicherer / Versicherungsgesellschaft | insurer / underwriter |
| Rückversicherer | reinsurer |
| Versicherungsmakler | insurance broker |
| Versicherungsvertreter / Versicherungsagent | insurance agent |
| Bezugsberechtigter / Begünstigter | beneficiary |
| Versicherungsprämie / Prämie | premium |
| Selbstbeteiligung / Selbstbehalt | excess (UK) / deductible (US) |
| Deckungssumme / Versicherungssumme | policy limit / sum insured |
| Deckung / Versicherungsschutz | cover / coverage |
| Versicherungszeitraum / Deckungszeitraum | policy period / period of cover |
| Schadensfall / Versicherungsfall | claim / loss |
| Schadensmeldung / Schadensanzeige | notice of claim / loss notification |
| Versicherungsleistung / Entschädigung | indemnity / claim payment |
| Schadensregulierung / Schadensfeststellung | loss adjustment |
| Sachverständiger / Schadensgutachter | loss adjuster / surveyor |
| Regress / Subrogation | subrogation |
| Verwirkung des Versicherungsschutzes | forfeiture of cover |
| Ausschluss (vom Versicherungsschutz) | exclusion |
| Kündigung (der Versicherung) | cancellation / termination |
| Nichtverlängerung | non-renewal |
| Verjährung | limitation period / statute of limitations |

## Types of Insurance

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Haftpflichtversicherung | liability insurance / third-party liability insurance |
| Berufshaftpflichtversicherung | professional indemnity insurance (UK) / errors and omissions insurance (US) |
| Bauwesenversicherung / Bauleistungsversicherung | contractor's all risks insurance (CAR) |
| Sachversicherung | property insurance |
| Personenversicherung | personal insurance / life and health insurance |
| Lebensversicherung | life insurance |
| Gruppenversicherung | group insurance |
| Kreditversicherung | credit insurance |
| Kautionsversicherung | surety bond insurance |
| Betriebsunterbrechungsversicherung | business interruption insurance |
| Transport- / Seeversicherung | marine insurance / cargo insurance |
| D&O-Versicherung (Vermögensschadenhaftpflicht für Organe) | directors' and officers' liability insurance (D&O) |

## Reinsurance Terms

| German | English |
|---|---|
| Rückversicherungsvertrag | reinsurance treaty |
| Proportionale Rückversicherung | proportional reinsurance |
| Nicht-proportionale Rückversicherung / Schadenexzedentenrückversicherung | non-proportional reinsurance / excess of loss |
| Zedent / Erstversicherer | cedant / ceding company |
| Retrozession | retrocession |
| Deckungsnote | cover note / binder |
| Bordereau | bordereau |
| Schadenquote | claims experience / loss ratio |
| Rückversicherungsprämie | reinsurance premium |
| Rückversicherungsprovision | reinsurance commission / ceding commission |

## Section Headings

| German | English |
|---|---|
| DEFINITIONEN | DEFINITIONS |
| GEGENSTAND DER VERSICHERUNG | SCOPE OF COVER |
| AUSSCHLÜSSE | EXCLUSIONS |
| PRÄMIE | PREMIUM |
| SCHADENSMELDUNG UND -REGULIERUNG | CLAIMS NOTIFICATION AND HANDLING |
| SUBROGATION / REGRESS | SUBROGATION |
| KÜNDIGUNG | CANCELLATION |
| VERSICHERUNGSDAUER | TERM / PERIOD OF INSURANCE |
| ALLGEMEINE BEDINGUNGEN | GENERAL CONDITIONS |

## Notes

- **"Selbstbeteiligung" / "Selbstbehalt"**: Translate as "deductible" or "excess" (UK).
- **Versicherungsvertragsgesetz (VVG)**: The German Insurance Contract Act. Reference as
  "German Insurance Contract Act (VVG)" on first mention.
- **BaFin (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht)**: The German federal
  financial supervisory authority overseeing insurance. Keep abbreviation and translate.
- **"Vermögensschadenhaftpflicht"**: Liability insurance covering pure financial loss
  (as opposed to personal injury or property damage). Translate based on context — often
  "professional indemnity" or "D&O" depending on who is insured.
