After crystals of (\mathrm{CuNd}{2} \mathrm{Ge}{2} \mathrm{O}{8}) are grown using (\mathrm{CuO}) as self flux, the crystal structure is determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction in the space group (\mathrm{Cm}) (No. 8) to an (R) value of (5.1 %). It is monoclinic, with (a=9.846(2) \AA, b=15.335(5) \AA), (c=8.336(1) \AA, \beta=148.48(2)^{\circ}, V=657.9(5) \AA^{3}, Z=4), and (D{\mathrm{c}}=6.31 \mathrm{~g} \mathrm{~cm}^{-3} . \mathrm{CuNd}{2} \mathrm{Ge}{2} \mathrm{O}{8}) shows a novel tridimensional structure type with chains of very distorted (\mathrm{CuO}{6}) octahedra, two kinds of coordinations for germanium ( (\mathrm{GeO}{5}) trigonal bipyramids and rather regular (\mathrm{GeO}{4}) tetrahedra), and (\mathrm{NdO}{4}) triangulated dodecahedra. Above (100 \mathrm{~K}) the reciprocal of the de magnetic susceptibility of (\mathrm{CuNd}{2} \mathrm{Ge}{2} \mathrm{O}{8}) follows the Curie-Weiss law (x^{-1}=162(1) T+5971(93) \mathrm{g} \mathrm{Oe} / \mathrm{emu}), with a Weiss constant of (\theta=36.8(7) \mathrm{K}) and a correlation factor (R=0.99997). Infrared spectra in the range (1000-100 \mathrm{~cm}^{-1}) are related to those of comparable species. The absorption spectrum at room temperature in the 350-700 (\mathrm{nm}) region is also given. (1995 Academic Press, Inc.