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Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 6, 7 and 8 -- Eichmann pleads not guilty

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.010 | Film ID: 2009

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    Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 6, 7 and 8 -- Eichmann pleads not guilty

    Overview

    Description
    Sessions 6, 7 and 8. The contents of the tape are not sequentially consistent with the official transcripts; rather the footage is arranged erratically starting in the middle of Session 6 with Attorney General Hausner's opening statement and ending in the beginning of Session 6 with Adolf Eichmann's plea hearing.

    Begins during Attorney General Hausner's opening speech. He states: "There was only one man who had been concerned almost entirely with the Jews, whose business had been their destruction that was Adolf Eichmann." There is a blip at 00:22:45 to 00:23:15, and the recording backtracks to an earlier portion of Session 6.

    Judge Landau asks Adolf Eichmann to be seated, and reads Decision 4, which dictates that Hausner's speech will be recorded by a stenographer. Hausner is then given permission to proceed with his opening statement; he begins his speech with references to the six million people unable to speak for themselves: "I will be their spokesman and in their name I will unfold the awesome indictment." There is another blip at 00:31:59 to 00:33:51 and the recording backtracks to an earlier portion of Session 6.

    The courtroom is empty, and court officials are seen readying the courtroom. The Judges enter, and Judge Landau opens the sixth session of the trial. Judge Landau announces Decision 3, in which he addresses Dr. Servatius's two preliminary concerns. Regarding the validity and objectivity of the court, the Judges find: "While on the bench a judge does not cease to be flesh and blood, possessed of emotions and impulses. However, he is required by law to subdue these emotions and impulses when this case is brought before us, we are obliged to overcome emotions while sitting judgment" As to the jurisdiction issue, the Judges find: "We have come to the conclusion that Defense Counsel's objections should be dismissed. The source of our authority to deal with this case is to be found in the "Nazis and Nazi Collaborators (Punishment) Law 5710-1950." The Judges also dismiss the use of "Acts of State" as it contradicts the Court's jurisdiction. Furthermore, the circumstances of Eichmann's extradition are declared irrelevant as the Court has jurisdiction to try the case.

    There is another blip at 00:50:44 and the recording backtracks approximately two minutes within Judge Landau's announcement. Lastly, the Judges declare it unnecessary to hear either Mr. Zvi Tohar or Mr. Jack Shimoni, two witnesses involved with Eichmann's capture, as the circumstances surrounding Eichmann's extradition were deemed irrelevant. At this point, there is a cut in editing at 00:52:11 and the tape switches to Judge Landau asking Adolf Eichmann how he pleads to the fourth through eighth counts of the indictment. For all counts, Eichmann states: "In the sense of the indictment, No." The tape ends as Eichmann answers the eighth count.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    00:53:18
    Date
    Event:  1961 April 17
    Production:  1961 April 17
    Locale
    Jerusalem, Israel
    Credit
    Accessed at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of The Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archives of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
    Contributor
    Director: Leo Hurwitz
    Producer: Milton Fruchtman
    Camera Operator: Rolf M. Kneller
    Camera Operator: F. Csaznik
    Camera Operator: J. Jonilowicz
    Camera Operator: J. Kalach
    Camera Operator: Emil Knebel
    Producer: Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation
    Biography
    Emil Knebel was a cinematographer known for Andante (2010), Adam (1973), and Wild Is My Love (1963). He was one of the cameramen who recorded daily coverage of the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem (produced by Capital Cities Broadcasting Corp and later held academic positions in Israel and New York teaching filmmaking at universities. Refer to CV in file.

    Physical Details

    Language
    English Hebrew German
    Genre/Form
    Unedited.
    B&W / Color
    Black & White
    Image Quality
    Good
    Time Code
    00:01:01:00 to 00:54:19:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2009 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2009 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2009 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2009 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2009 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2009 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2009 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2009 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    You do not require further permission from the Museum to access this archival media.
    Copyright
    Public Domain
    Conditions on Use
    To the best of the Museum's knowledge, this material is in the public domain. You do not require further permission from the Museum to reproduce or use this material.

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Film Provenance
    Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation recorded the proceedings of the Adolf Eichmann trial in 1961. The original recording was made on two-inch format videotape. One set of videotapes contained selected portions of the trial for distribution to television stations. The "selected portions" version remained in Israel and was later turned over to the Israel State Archives. Capital Cities Broadcasting retained the set of videotapes containing the complete trial proceedings at offices in New York City until 1965, when they gave the videotapes to the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. The Anti-Defamation League, in turn, gave the complete set to the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1972. With a grant from the Revson Foundation, Hebrew University transferred the two-inch videotapes to U-Matic format. During the transfer process, Hebrew University created three duplicate sets. One set was given to the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive, one to the Israel State Archives, and one set to the Jewish Museum in New York City. In 1995, the Israel State Archives transferred the trial footage to digital videoformat with a grant from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Three subsequent digital videotape copies resulted from this transfer of footage. The Israel State Archives retained one digital copy and a second set was deposited at the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum received the third set of digital videotapes in May 1999.
    Note
    See official transcripts, published in "The Trial of Adolf Eichmann", Vol. I-V, State of Israel, Ministry of Justice, Jerusalem, 1994. Also available online at the Nizkor Project http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/e/eichmann-adolf/transcripts/Sessions/.

    The dialogue is in three languages: German, Hebrew, and English. Adolf Eichmann and Defense Counsel Robert Servatius speak in German, which is translated into Hebrew. The Judges and Attorney General Gideon Hausner speak Hebrew. An English translation of the proceedings is dubbed over all of the dialogue by translators. The presiding Judges are Moshe Landau, Benjamin Halevi, and Yitzchak Raveh. Also present are Assistant State Attorneys Gabriel Bach and Ya'akov Bar-Or. There are periodic breaks in the footage.
    Copied From
    2" Quad
    Film Source
    Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 1737
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 237
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:43:33
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001024

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