The german word that refers to something in which the whole seems greater than the sum of its parts is

Gestalt

Explanation:

Gestalt is a word of Germanic origin meaning "form" or "figure", and the term was adopted by psychologists and had its meaning extended to the "unified whole", that is, the perception of the unity of various elements.

More generally, it is the set of physical, biological, physiological, or symbolic entities that together form a unified concept, pattern, or configuration that is greater than the sum of its parts.

"The fundamental 'formula' of Gestalt theory can be expressed as follows," he wrote. “There are sets, the behavior of which is not determined by its individual elements, but where the process of the part is determined by the intrinsic nature of the whole. It is Gestalt's aim to determine the nature of such sets ”(1924).

In short: The basic principle of Gestalt theory is that the integer is interpreted differently than the sum of its parts.