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What are the competences which establish interpreters asprofessionals? In relation to this question, this paper examinesprofessional interpreters’ memory system. Research on interpreters’memory in recent years has revolved around the working memory insimultaneous interpreting. Results of those researches were howeverhighly contradictory. To find out the reasons for those disappointingresults and to understand better, in which form each kind of memory serves to the complex task of interpreting, a more comprehensivetreatment of the theme “memory” appears required. First, this paperreviews various memory types as commonly defined in cognitivepsychology. The paper’s hypothesis is constructed upon how eachmemory type is employed in both consecutive and simultaneousinterpreting. Finally, hypothetical conclusions are drawn: (1) As forlong-term memory, not its capacity but its structure might differ fromnon-interpreters, and (2) short-term memory plays a key role inconsecutive interpreting. Stimuli which retrieve interpreters’ STM areeither previous informations or note-taking which work as a fireworkin retrieving series of memory chains in interpreters’ brain. (3) Toverify the hypothesis that professional interpreters have a greaterworking memory capacity than non-professionals one should measuretheir semantic memory, and not their auditive or visual memory.