National Content: Belgium
What do the defendants of Nuremberg think?
| Source | “Vers l’Avenir”, 27th November 1945, P 1. |
| Event referred to | 20th november 1945 : Beginning of Nuremberg Trial |
| Technological characteristics | Type of file: Image Extension : pdf Characteristics Dimension of the file: 1989 Ko Availability proposed: pdf document with zoom options |
| Description of the source | Kind of source: Newspaper article Origin of the source: Archives of the Public Library of Namur, Belgium Language: French Copyright issues: : reproduction and pedagogical exploitation authorized in the framework of the MHM project |
| Contextualisation of the source | « Vers l’Avenir » is a popular French-speaking newspaper in Belgium. Founded in 1918, this daily of the social catholic trend is edited in Namur. It belongs partly to the bishopric of Namur. This newspaper is read mostly by the middle class and the working class. In 1967, “Vers l’Avenir” was edited in almost 90.000 copies. (J. GOL, Le monde de la presse en Belgique, édition du Centre de Recherche et d’Information socio-politiques – CRISP- 1970) |
| Interpretation of the source | The front page of our newspaper presents a lot of information. The redactor wants probably to deliver a maximum of information to his readers. The article dedicated to the trial of Nuremberg occupies almost 15 % of the complete surface of the page. It is located in the upper part on the left of the page. The journalist wants to give an account of debates which are held in Nuremberg. Therefore he quotes the defendants many times. He also shows that the defendants often contradict themselves and that there is no agreement between them, to put the stress on their faults. He also takes a stand in his article, reacting to the talks of the defendants. He writes indeed some ironic comments quoting the answers of some defendants, showing that way the incoherence and the unacceptability of their thesis. So the journalist reveals the prevailing opinion of people, that is incomprehension and indignation. |
| Original Contents | Que pensent les accusés de Nuremberg ? De façon générale, aucun d’eux ne paraît comprendre ce que l’accusation nomme « le complot contre la paix ». […] Qu’ils se soient parjurés vingt fois, qu’ils aient faits de l’Europe un charnier, ne compte pas pour ces serviteurs prussiens ou prussianisés. Leur seul tort est à leur yeux d’avoir fini par être les moins forts. […] Speer et Sauckel, le constructeur des usines secrètes, et le pourvoyeur des bagnes ignoraient les cadavres de leurs usines et de leurs bagnes. « Nous n’écoutions pas la radio étrangère… » Qui essaient-ils de tromper ? Leurs juges ? Non, leur angoisse. |
| Original Contents (English Translation) | What do the defendants of Nuremberg think? Generally speaking, none of them seems to understand what prosecution names " the conspiracy against peace ". […] The fact that they perjured themselves twenty times and that they turned Europe into a mass grave, doesn’t count for these Prussian (or “prussianised”) attendants. According to them, their only fault is to have finally been the least strong ones. […] Speer and Sauckel, constructor of the secret factories and provider of the labour camps, ignored the corpses of their factories and of their camps. " We didn’t listen to the foreign radio… ". Whom do they try to deceive? Their judges? No, their anguish. |