Claims for compensation for victims of Nazism

A law firm in Udine has filed several claims for compensation for war crimes committed against the population of Friuli Venezia Giulia during Nazi occupation. We collaborated on this important job by preparing the certified translation of the writs of summons to be served to the Federal Republic of Germany.

What is it about?

Thanks to a special fund made available by the Italian government in cooperation with the German government, the heirs of the victims of the massacres and deportations were able to sue Germany to obtain compensation for the war crimes committed by the Nazi army between 1943 and 1945 in our region. In order to serve the documents to the Republic of Germany, it was necessary to submit them in bilingual format, with the original and the German version facing each other, along with the certification of the translation.

What does the project look like?

The work comprised eight writs of summons for a total of about twenty victims and heirs to be compensated. Each deed, after a historical presentation of the facts, reconstructed through extensive research and consultation by lawyers, sets out the legal grounds supporting the claim for compensation. Long and complex documents, which place specifically legal content alongside the reporting of crimes and historic events. The deadline for submitting the documents was stringent and very tight so it was an urgent job.

How was the translation work organized?

The work of translating the documents, despite the tight schedules, was assigned to a single translator, who was able to translate in a uniform and consistent way all the texts, which had many points in common. The translation of the writs was complex both in terms of the legal aspect and the reconstruction of the facts: fortunately, war crimes are not a topic that is frequently addressed. Extensive terminology research both in the historical and legal fields was required, combining the translation, as always, with an attentive revision, which is even more important during such an urgent and delicate job. Computer-assisted translation tools were essential, making it possible to speed up the work and ensuring the quality of the translation and exact correspondence with the source text. The project concluded with the certification of the translated documents at the Court of Law.

To sum up

What makes us so passionate about our work are those moments in which we can change or improve someone’s fate, by choosing the most appropriate words and tones. Sometimes history has already run its course but we can lend a hand in healing the wounds of the past. There were many claims for compensation from all over Italy and it is still unknown whether the victims will be able to receive fair monetary compensation. We however find it is important to continue to cultivate the memory of these events – not to reopen old wounds but rather to enhance mutual understanding between Countries and overcome past hostilities.

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