How interpreting was reinvented in Nuremberg

A revolution for criminal law – and interpreting

The decision by the Allied powers to bring Nazi Germany’s principal war criminals before an international tribunal represents a milestone in the history of jurisprudence. Today’s system of international criminal law, whose most prominent institution is the International Criminal Court in The Hague, would be inconceivable without the Nuremberg Main War Crimes Trial and the subsequent follow-up trials. The Nuremberg Trials also brought about a significant innovation in another area: interpreting. For the first time, the previously established form of consecutive interpreting was replaced by a completely new method: simultaneous interpreting. In this method, the interpreter does not speak after the speaker, but simultaneously with them. This represents a time saving that should not be underestimated, but also places the highest cognitive demands on the interpreter. Even Hermann Göring, one of the most prominent defendants, expressed the view that he did not need a lawyer, but rather a good interpreter. The challenge was enormous: the proceedings were conducted in four languages – German, English, French and Russian – and demanded the utmost precision, as any translation error could potentially be exploited.

The introduction of simultaneous interpreting made the trial unique and groundbreaking – both for the judiciary and for language mediation.

Nuremberg – The birthplace of simultaneous interpreting

It was pragmatic considerations that ultimately led to the decision to hold the major war crimes trial in Nuremberg. For one thing, the city was located in the American occupation zone. Most of the future defendants were in American custody; moreover, it was the US War Department that was entrusted with planning the proceedings. Furthermore, the city possessed an intact courthouse with an adjoining prison, the Palace of Justice. Today, the permanent exhibition ‘Memorium Nuremberg Trials’ at this historic site also provides information on the development of simultaneous interpreting.

The trial and the role of the simultaneous interpreters

The trial’s conduct in four languages was only possible thanks to the meticulous work of the interpreters. The interpreters had to work with absolute precision, as there is scarcely a place where the exact wording of what is said carries greater significance than in court. There was also an awareness of the risk that the defendants might exploit any inaccurate interpretation of their statements. Yet despite all due care, translation errors could not be entirely avoided. For instance, a linguistic slip-up in the translation of the term ‘liberation of the Rhine’ led to a heated exchange between Göring and the prosecution. This error undermined Jackson’s argument – a vivid example of how, in this trial of the century, every word was of crucial importance.

Had consecutive, i.e. delayed, interpreting been used during the proceedings, the trial would have dragged on for several years. To prevent this, the new technique of simultaneous interpreting was employed, which takes place almost in real time. For this purpose, IBM developed a novel booth system with switchable microphones and headphones. Interpreters were able to signal to speakers using coloured lights to speak more slowly, express themselves more clearly or repeat passages. Thus, a new era of language mediation began in Nuremberg.

How simultaneous interpreting works

Simultaneous interpreting is one of the most demanding cognitive tasks. Interpreters listen, understand and translate simultaneously, which requires the utmost concentration, clear articulation and regular pauses. The task of real-time translation is so demanding that simultaneous interpreters always work in teams and take turns after a maximum of 30 minutes.

In booth interpreting, developed for the Nuremberg Trials, interpreters work in soundproof booths. They listen to the speaker via headphones and speak into a microphone, the signal from which is then transmitted to the listeners’ headphones.

A special form is known as ‘relay interpreting’: where the source language is rare, it is first interpreted into a conference language, such as English, from which the other interpreters then translate into their respective languages.

At multilingual events with few participants, so-called “whispered interpreting” is frequently used. Here, the interpreter stands diagonally behind the listener and speaks directly into their ear. This form of interpreting has the advantage of requiring no conference technology.

From Nuremberg to the whole world – Simultaneous interpreting today

Today, simultaneous interpreting has become established worldwide. At numerous multilingual events, real-time translation is the preferred – and often the only practical – form of interpreting.

The ‘Memorial to the Nuremberg Trials’ in Nuremberg commemorates the historical origins of this technique. The British translator David Bellos describes simultaneous interpreting as one of the most demanding feats of the human brain, as it requires listening and speaking at the same time.

The interpreting team at AP Fachübersetzungen in Nuremberg certainly does justice to the home town of simultaneous interpreting. Our highly qualified interpreters and translators are at your service, whether at conferences, trade fairs, large and small events, or in court – here in Nuremberg, where it all began. Our translation agency at Fürther Str. 94 is very close to the historic Palace of Justice.

Image: The New York Public Library, unsplash.com