contemporary witness
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contemporary witness
A person who personally lived through a specific historical event and can report on it from their own experience.
Für das Geschichtsprojekt interviewten die Schüler einen Zeitzeugen des Mauerfalls.
For the history project, the students interviewed a contemporary witness to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The word is made up of 'Zeit' (time) and 'Zeuge' (witness). So it literally describes a person who was a witness to a certain period of time or a historical event.
Der Historiker sprach mit einem Zeitzeugen über seine Erlebnisse im Krieg.
The historian spoke with a contemporary witness about his experiences in the war.
To name the historical event that the person lived through, the genitive is usually used. Alternatively, 'von' + dative is also possible.
Er ist einer der letzten lebenden Zeitzeugen des Zweiten Weltkriegs.
He is one of the last living contemporary witnesses of the Second World War.
Common verbs used with 'Zeitzeuge' are 'einen Zeitzeugen befragen' (to question a contemporary witness) or 'interviewen' (to interview). The person themselves can 'als Zeitzeuge berichten' (report as a contemporary witness).
Die Journalistin hat für ihre Dokumentation mehrere Zeitzeugen interviewt.
The journalist interviewed several contemporary witnesses for her documentary.
The word is used specifically for people who lived through important historical events, not for everyday occurrences. It has a strong connection to history and journalism.
In der Schule erzählte ein Zeitzeuge von der Zeit der deutschen Teilung.
At school, a contemporary witness talked about the period of German division.
contemporary
'der Zeitgenosse' and 'der Zeitzeuge' sound similar, and both have to do with a particular time. A 'Zeitgenosse' lives or lived in the same time period as another person. They do not have to have experienced a particular event themselves. A 'Zeitzeuge' personally lived through a historical event and can report on it. The confusion happens easily because of 'Zeit-' at the beginning. Remember: a Zeitgenosse shares the time period; a Zeitzeuge saw or experienced something personally.
Im Unterricht erzählt ein Zeitzeuge von seiner Kindheit während des Krieges.
In class, a contemporary witness talks about his childhood during the war.
Goethe war ein Zeitgenosse von Schiller.
Goethe was a contemporary of Schiller.