The darkhaired interpreter

Edith Coliver was born in Karlsruhe, Germany on July 26, 1922.  She was the oldest of three children – Hans was born next in 1928 and Ernest Robert was born last in 1929.  Her family was one of middle calss and this would eventually be of benefit to Edith.  She and her best friend, Gertrud Marx, were in an “upscale gang,” who would climb trees and on top of roof.  She mentioned her father several times throughout the video, and states that she quoted him so much that her friends and coworkers would comment “we know what your father would say;” after she would begin a conversation with “my father would always say.”

Her family lived in a secure and modest neighborhood in a three story home.  Edith’s family lived on the bottom floor and her favorite gym teacher lived on the top floor.  She remembers the first year that “The Stormer” was dropped from the sky, and how her upset her favorite gym teacher was to read the things that the Germans were saying about the Jews.  The second time they dropped the pamphlets she remembers him coming to her father and asking why no one had stood up for themselves.  She recalls him stating that “there must be some truth to it since no one is doing anything about it.”  The third and final time she states that she did not seem him again and that she prayed that he had not put on the uniform of a SS soldier.

She states that she was a normal kid and did all the things that normal kids did.  Edith attended public school until about the ninth or tenth grade when a teacher risked coming to Edith’s home to tell her mother that she should pull Edith out of school because she was not allowed to give Edith the grades that she deserved.  It was at this time that Edith moved to London.  About one year later Edith’s father called her and told her that she needed to come home.  Of course Edith argued with him, she was having the time of her life.  He demanded that she come home immediately and so she gave in and came home. ‘Thank GOD she listened to him or she may not have been here to give this interview.  When Edith got home her father took her to the consulate to get a Visa for travel to America and because of her age she was allowed to go on her father’s Visa.  She recalls ‘that the waiting list at this time for a Visa was about 10 years.  As so goes the boat ride to American.  She remembers waiting outside on the deck of the boat all night long because she wanted to be the first to see the Statue of Liberty.  Because of the determination, that later proved to be her greatest quality, she was.

Edith had an idea in her head that Americans were bullies and only cared about Americans, when all of the sudden the first thing she see in a protest.  Edith recalls seeing many Americans marching and chanting “down with Hitler” and “Chamberlain must go.”  Her nerves began to calm and she realized that she might be a good place.  Their next stop was California.  When they pulled into port on October 31, 1938, customs agents began to search their things.  Not maliciously but normal protocol, and they came across her accordion.  The agents asked “what is this, and do you plan to sell it?”  Edith claims the accordion and says "no, I am not going to sell it I am going to play it.  They asked her to prove it and she did so by playing “god Bless American and bringing tears to the eyes of the customs agents and her maternal family that had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Edith and her family.  Edith attends and graduated George Washington High School and the normalcy that she felt in Germany was now gone.  While her classmates were excited about the up and coming ceremonies and dances she found herself unable to relate and could only think of her friends and family back home in Germany.  Edith states that when she and her family returned to Germany in 1945, the friendly atmosphere that she once felt was no gone as everyone wondered what everyone had been up to.  Edith also states that maybe there was an air of guilt for surviving when so many did not. 

Edith attended Berkley and studied political science with Phi Theta Kappa honors and eventually went to work as a translator during the Nuremburg trials.  When she told her parents that she was going to Nuremburg for the trails they were extremely angry.  Her father did write her and told her to “not forget that you are a Jew.”  I could only take this as he wanted to make sure that the people who did this would pay at any cost, even with the possibility of her lying about something they said.  That advice is what gave her the strength to do what is right and get through all the tragedies that she would hear during the trials.

Time Magazine nicknames her the “dark haired interpreter whose voice quivered.”  She states that her voice did not quiver because she was shy, but because she was scared to death.  She recalls that there were 21 defendants in all, but the most memorable was Herman Goering.  He was Hitler’s wing man who claimed that although he was against the “final solution” he did nothing to stop it.  He admitted his guilt, and follows that with the statement that he was not guilty of what he was accused.  When he was found guilty he requested the “honor” of being shot like a true soldier would be.  The bench did not allow him this “honor” and sentenced him to death by hanging.  What happens next is something that can and will forever be questioned as to how it happened.  While the prosecution and the translator team waited the confirmation that he was dead, in walks a guard that was pale and caused much concern.  The concern was, because of the look on his face, that the bench had recalled the death sentence and decided that Goering should go free.  However this could not have been further from the truth.  Goering had committed suicide.  Theories as to how this happened are many but one seems to make the most sense.  The theory is that Goering hid a cyanide pill in his lotion and upon hearing the verdict requested some of his personal belongings, including his lotion and swallowed the hidden pill.

Edith did eventually find happiness and peace and was married to a wonderful man named Norman for 31 wonderful years until his passing

"I Loved my father very much."
"I need to blow my nose."  (that one was at a tape change and I thought that it was cute)