This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
ganseeigross
das ist nicht gute, auch nein meine freunde, ihr wolte nei helfen ihr wolte nei

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Altbau

English translation:

Period building

Added to glossary by Jan Liebelt
Apr 21, 2002 19:18
22 yrs ago
7 viewers *
German term

Altbau

Non-PRO German to English Tech/Engineering Architecture real estate, architecture, building
Yes, we all know the DIFFERENCE between an Altbau and a Neubau, but what the blimey do we call them when conversing with the uninitiated?

I usually call Altbauten "old-style" buildings, but it seems rather clumsy in the present context (real estate-cum-marketing text).

Any bright ideas?
Proposed translations (English)
5 +9 Period House/Building
4 +2 existing buildings/houses versus new construction
4 +2 Right.......
5 existing (or: old) buildings (in standard contexts)
4 How about just 'old building' or 'old house'
4 see list below
4 older style building
4 Classic building
4 pre-war style
4 buildings constructed after 01.01.1949
4 buildings constructed after 01.01.1949
4 Estate
4 -1 mansion house
Change log

Nov 22, 2005 21:54: Kim Metzger changed "Field" from "Other" to "Tech/Engineering" , "Field (specific)" from "(none)" to "Architecture"

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Apr 21, 2002:
I'm sorry to seem pedantic, but: You're all getting the wrong idea. I'm talking beautiful, individual houses with high ceilings, large windows and stucco built (mainly in Europe?) in the days when money and space were no option, and the words pre-fab had no meaning. I'm not talking about something that is by definition or implication run-down or old.
Non-ProZ.com Apr 21, 2002:
I'm only interested ... in a tem for "Altbauten", not a comparison with "Neubauten"!

Proposed translations

+9
40 mins
Selected

Period House/Building

Period implies the building is was built in a different era. This would be typical language used by someone selling a house to imply it was of for example 'Georgian' style (i.e. the type with high ceilings)
Peer comment(s):
agree jerrie
5 mins
agree Louise Mawbey
21 mins
agree Petra Dr. Schmidt-Sarbutt
11 hrs
agree brute (X)
12 hrs
agree Mary Worby
13 hrs
agree pschmitt : I think this is what an estate agent in the UK would call it. Maybe "listed building"as well, which means that its period style has to be maintained/can't be altered structurally
14 hrs
agree StefanR
16 hrs
agree Premier Focus
2 days 7 hrs
agree Andrea Kopf : Also seen in an ad: detached period house (since Mr. Liebelt is talking individual houses).
2 days 11 hrs
Something went wrong...
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Dermot and everyone else for your input. It took a while, but I think "period" best gives the sense I'm after."
4 mins

How about just 'old building' or 'old house'

Declined
HTH
Something went wrong...
Comment: "Nope: Gives the wrong impression."
+2
6 mins

existing buildings/houses versus new construction

Declined
might make it clear too

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-21 20:32:13 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

so if you only want the equivalent of Altbauten, here I go again: EXISTING BUILDINGS/HOUSES/STRUCTURES
Peer comment(s):
agree Theo Bose
20 mins
thank you, Theo!
agree Alev Ellington
2 days 22 hrs
thanks, Alev.
Something went wrong...
Comment: "There are lots of existing Neubauten too."
14 mins

see list below

Declined
old, older, really old building, old-fashioned + style of architecture, antique, historical

it depends on how old it is I suppose. Some of the Altbau buildings I know of can be as old as 500 years old (a friend of mine lives in a building dated 1438. )
Something went wrong...
Comment: "Hate to say it, but no, no, and no! (See my second note)"
+2
40 mins

Right.......

thats tricky...
The only thing that comes to my mind would be to add 'beautiful' (old buildings), and/or
adding the period from which theses buildings stem might create instant association of the
beautiful, luxuriant buildings of that time, i.e. 'beautiful victorian buildings'/'picturesque...'
HTH
Peer comment(s):
agree Cassandra Greer
9 mins
agree Terri Doerrzapf : victorian is what we would call them in the US.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

older style building

leaves the positive and negative sides to the imagination of the prospective buyer, IMO.

HTH
Something went wrong...
-1
4 hrs

mansion house

I have had a look at the FT Weekend property section. The term you are looking for is either mansion house/flat/block or period building. I am not quite sure about it.

Do click the link mentioned below to view a three bedroom mansion flat.

HTH

Regards,
Andrea

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-22 06:21:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My suggestion does not apply to all kinds of \"Altbauten\"! It might work for your specific real estate-cum-marketing text.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-24 07:52:07 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I tried to give a context-specific answer. Having browsed the site mentioned above, I now definitely agree with Dermot\'s answer. Still, I think you can equate \"mansion flats/blocks\" with \"Altbau vom feinsten\" or the like. I have the impression that \"modern mansions\" are advertised as such.
Reference:

http://www.findaproperty.co.uk/cgi-bin/area.pl?areaid=0220&opt=story&storyid=0761

Peer comment(s):
disagree pschmitt : "Mansion" merely applies to the size of the building (i.e "Villa") plus they can be old but there are certainly modern mansions as well
10 hrs
Please read my second note.
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

existing (or: old) buildings (in standard contexts)

Declined
If you had a specific period of time, you could refer to them as "turn-of-the-century" buildings, etc.

FYI: the buildings you describe (high ceilings, large windows, etc.) usually date back to that time or early 20th century anyway.

Good luck!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-21 23:37:51 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In English, buildings are commonly identified and associated with certain periods. It might just do the trick here ;-)
Something went wrong...
Comment: "Thanks, but I already declined the same answer above."
7 hrs

Classic building

How about this one ?
Something went wrong...
1 day 6 mins

pre-war style

In my experience living in German apartments, "Neubau" referred to buildings constructed after the end of WWII. However, if you are looking for a real-estate marketing term that would offer a selling point, "period buildings" sounds best to me - though someone might want you to define the period.
HTH!
Something went wrong...
1 day 18 hrs

buildings constructed after 01.01.1949

Declined
Does'nt provide any information on style or condicion of building but generally modern. Check www.grabener-verlag.de/kunden/haspa/a-z/AZhtml/ndex.htm
Hope that helps.
Something went wrong...
Comment: "Altbauten were built long *before* 1949!"
1 day 18 hrs

buildings constructed after 01.01.1949

Declined
Does'nt provide any information on style or condicion of building but generally modern. Check www.grabener-verlag.de/kunden/haspa/a-z/AZhtml/ndex.htm
P.S. Compare to Neubau.
Hope that helps.
Something went wrong...
4 days

Estate

Declined
The way you describe Altbau, cathedral ceilings, spacious, generously built, I would call it an estate!
Something went wrong...
Comment: "In BE, "estate" means a massive house with large grounds."
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search