eyewitness
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eyewitness
A person who has seen an event, especially an accident or a crime, with their own eyes and can report on it.
Die Polizei befragt einen Augenzeugen, um den Hergang des Unfalls zu klären.
The police are questioning an eyewitness to clarify how the accident happened.
The word is built very logically. It consists of 'Auge' (eye) and 'Zeuge' (witness). So an 'Augenzeuge' (eyewitness) is a person who has witnessed something with their own eyes.
Ein Augenzeuge konnte der Polizei eine genaue Beschreibung des Täters geben.
An eyewitness was able to give the police an exact description of the perpetrator.
The term 'Augenzeuge' (eyewitness) is almost always used in connection with accidents, crimes, or other important events. It often appears together with words like 'Polizei' (police), 'Gericht' (court), or 'Bericht' (report).
Die Polizei bittet mögliche Augenzeugen des Vorfalls, sich zu melden.
The police are asking possible eyewitnesses to the incident to come forward.
To name the witnessed event, German often uses the genitive or the preposition 'von' with the dative. Both forms are correct.
Sie war Augenzeugin des Raubüberfalls.
She was an eyewitness to the robbery.
contemporary witness
An Augenzeuge has seen a specific event directly with their own eyes. A Zeitzeuge has personally lived through a historical period or event, but does not necessarily have to have been at the scene. Augenzeuge is the right term for a specific observation, while Zeitzeuge is used for personal historical experiences.
Der Augenzeuge stand am Grenzübergang und sah, wie die Mauer geöffnet wurde.
The eyewitness was standing at the border crossing and saw the wall being opened.
Der Zeitzeuge erlebte den Mauerfall damals als Student in Leipzig.
The contemporary witness experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall as a student in Leipzig at the time.
