Elisabeth Heyward
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Heyward was one of the participating interpreters during the Nuremberg Trials
(1945–1949) held in the city of Nuremberg
, Germany
after World War II
. She was the wife of the late Dick Heyward
, former senior deputy executive director of UNICEF.
. After the Russian Revolution - a year after her birth - Heyward’s family left St. Petersburg. In 1920, she was among a mass of Russian
migrants diverging into Berlin
. Four years later, Heyward’s family left Germany to settle in Paris
, France
. A few years after World War I
- at the age of five - Heyward had the overwhelming task of attending a school in Paris without, at first, having any knowledge of French
. At home, Heyward spoke Russian
with her parents although they were fluent in German
as an outcome of having resided in Berlin for four years.
.
After World War II, Heyward was able to demonstrate her incredible talent as a polyglot
while working at the France Presse news agency
. Heyward’s experience at France Presse eventually led to her interpreting career, first during the Nuremberg Trials and then for the United Nations
in New York
.
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
(1945–1949) held in the city of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was the wife of the late Dick Heyward
Dick Heyward
Dick Heyward was a deputy executive director of UNICEF between 1949 and 1981. During that time, he was responsible for developing many of UNICEF's policies for children and served under three executive directors....
, former senior deputy executive director of UNICEF.
Exodus from Russia
Elisabeth Heyward was born on October 8, 1919 in St. Petersburg, RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. After the Russian Revolution - a year after her birth - Heyward’s family left St. Petersburg. In 1920, she was among a mass of Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
migrants diverging into Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Four years later, Heyward’s family left Germany to settle in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. A few years after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
- at the age of five - Heyward had the overwhelming task of attending a school in Paris without, at first, having any knowledge of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. At home, Heyward spoke Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
with her parents although they were fluent in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as an outcome of having resided in Berlin for four years.
In France
With the most of Elisabeth's upbringing being in France, Heyward's education was almost exclusively French, and she later attended an insititution that offered advanced studies in trade and commerce. Although the had stated that the milieu of her education had been male-dominated, Heyward finished her schooling with excellent accomplishment and had become fluent in English, winning first prize in fact during an English-language competition. At that time, however, the French government failed to recognize this notable linguistic accomplishment as Heyward had not yet earned French citizenshipCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
.
After World War II, Heyward was able to demonstrate her incredible talent as a polyglot
Polyglot (person)
A polyglot is someone with a high degree of proficiency in several languages. A bilingual person can speak two languages fluently, whereas a trilingual three; above that the term multilingual may be used.-Hyperpolyglot:...
while working at the France Presse news agency
News agency
A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
. Heyward’s experience at France Presse eventually led to her interpreting career, first during the Nuremberg Trials and then for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Book excerpts
In New York City
At the United Nations headquarters in New York, Heyward joined the French Section of the Interpretation Service, working from English and Russian. She later occupied the post of Head of the French Section until her retirement in 1981. After officially leaving the U.N. as a permanent staff member, Heyward continued working as a freelance interpreter until April 17, 2004.See also
- List of UN InterpretersUnited Nations Interpretation ServiceThe United Nations Interpretation Service is a part of the Meetings and Publishing Division of the UN's Department for General Assembly and Conference Management...
- United Nations Interpretation Service Website,date retrieved: 28 May 2007
- Interpreters: Inside the Glass Booth by Elsa B. Endrst, The UN Chronicle, United Nations Publications (1991), Gale Group (2004), date retrieved: 28 May, 2007