This is the 336th most frequent German word.
staat
"Staat" in German means "state" or "nation."
Here, "Stadtstaat" is a compound word using "Staat" to describe a city functioning as an independent political entity.
Im alten Griechenland war der Stadtstaat Athen sehr mächtig.
In ancient Greece, the city-state Athens was very powerful.
In this context, "Staat" is used metaphorically to denote a condition or framework of ideas and creativity established by the artist.
Der Künstler hat mit seinen Werken einen eigenen geistigen Staat geschaffen.
The artist created their own intellectual state with their works.
In this sentence, "Staat" refers to a country or nation as an organized political entity responsible for governance.