"Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän" is one of the most famous long German words, and it refers to the captain of a steamship company operating on the Danube River. The word itself has historical significance, as steamship travel was a major industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Many long German words have historical origins, often related to professions, bureaucratic institutions, or outdated laws. In earlier centuries, German speakers preferred precise terms, leading to long compound words that described exact roles, regulations, or procedures. Over time, some of these words became obsolete, but others remain in specialized fields like medicine, law, and technology. Today, long words still play a role in formal German, though everyday speech often simplifies them.