Feme

• Fehme, Vehme, Veme (obsolete)

From northern Middle High German veme, a borrowing from Middle Low German vēme. Cognate with Dutch veem. The further origin is unknown, though a relation with either Fehde (“feud”) or Feind (“enemy”) has been considered.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfeːmə/

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Feme f (genitive Feme, plural Femen)

1. (history) Vehmic court (medieval, chiefly Westphalian, special court for capital crimes presided by a local noble or freeman appointed by the king)

   Gegenüber dem Dortmunder Hauptbahnhof befindet sich der Freistuhl, wo im Mittelalter die Feme tagte.

   Across the street from Dortmund central station is the Freistuhl (thingstead), where the Vehmic court used to sit during the Middle Ages.

2. (higher register, by comparison) a secret tribunal that orders the assassination of (political) enemies or traitors

   Das Opfer könnte ein der Feme verfallener Angehöriger des organisierten Verbrechens sein.

   The victim might be a member of organized crime who was ordered killed by a secret tribunal.

3. (history, by new narrowing) such tribunals among right-wing organisations of the Weimar era

   Wegen seiner Beteiligung an einer Feme in Parchim saß Rudolf Höß vier Jahre im Zuchthaus.

   Rudolf Höss spent four years in jail for his involvement in a right-wing murder plot at Parchim.

• Femegericht
• Fememord
• verfemen