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Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 68 and 69 -- Testimonies of Y. Dinur, Y. Bakon, A. Oppenheimer, A. Beilin

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.081 | Film ID: 2081

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    Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 68 and 69 -- Testimonies of Y. Dinur, Y. Bakon, A. Oppenheimer, A. Beilin

    Overview

    Description
    Session 68. Witness Yehiel Dinur is sworn in. He identifies himself as a man born in Poland, and as a writer. 00:02:14 He is asked about his pseudonym K. Zetnik. He explains the meaning of his books, particularly the Auschwitz chronicle, he explains how in the camps time passed on a different scale, the inhabitants of the planet breathed and lived under different laws and nature - "their name was the number 'Kazetnik'". That's why he uses this name. He talks about the uniform, and the "Auschwitz planet." 00:09:20 The witness asked to listen to questions, as he continues to speak about what is on his mind and does not directly address the questions put before the court. Suddenly the witness faints. It is later discovered that he has had a stroke while testifying. There is commotion in the courtroom; the witness's wife comes to his aid at the witness stand, along with court personnel and medical personnel. Recess is called. He is taken out of court on a stretcher. 00:13:00 Cuts out.

    00:13:03 Witness Yehuda Bakon describes his time in the camps, recalling a time when he was taking wood to the crematorium fire, incidents when the Sonderkommando took pity on the children and allowed them to warm themselves from the harsh cold outside by staying near the ovens and in the gas chambers. He recalls that he used to have to spread human ashes on the road in winter so that people would not slip and fall on the ice and snow. 00:15:27 Cuts out. He then describes his experience in Zeltenlager - there was an air raid, a bomb hit the camp and the next day he saw people eating human flesh. 00:17:17 Cuts out.

    00:17:20 Witness Alfred Oppenheimer. The witness was in Birkenau. He describes a selection, lying about occupation and age to save himself. 00:22:35 Cuts out. Describes the train on which he was deported - and managing to get a place by the window. 00:24:57 SS men trying to find out who opened the window to the carriage - shot at the men opposite him. Asked about the fellow passengers from Terezin. Not allowed to help a man who survived his bullet. 00:28:28 Cuts out. He continues to describe his camp experience, as he talks about sleeping on a concrete floor, whilst having to dismantle machines, peeling potatoes. Describes himself and a fellow inmate being caught having 'organized' potatoes - sentenced to death by hanging. First man hung, Oppenhiemer was allowed to live - hung by the arms for two hours because he only stole one potato. 00:34:32 Describes his fellow workers trying to ease his work burden the next day. 00:34:52 Cuts out. He describes again how he narrowly avoided death. He was left behind when a death march took place, two acquaintances stayed behind with him. They slept in a hut. 00:37:50 The woke up to the sounds of shouting, the SS men were back. He went to hide in public lavatory, guards were shooting, setting fire to huts and shooting those who tried to leave the huts. 00:38:51 They jumped through the seat of the toilets into the pit below to escape the fire/shooting. 00:41:30 Eventually the Russian army liberated them. He said that he weighed 39 kilos when Russians came. 00:42:30 Cuts out.

    Session 69. Witness Dr. Aharon Beilin. Describes telling fellow inmate that the crematorium was not a bakery - that inmate then committed suicide. 00:45:13 Cuts out. Describes what 'Muselmann' were. 00:48:17 Cuts out. Explains about "Goebbels Calendar" - on Jewish holidays sick wards and Muselmänner blocks were emptied out and sent to the gas chambers. 00:49:55 Cuts out. Beilin lost consciousness for three days. Describes Mengele approaching him whilst he was cleaning the floor. Beilin knew Mengele would want him dead as he was a witness to the liquidation of the Roma camp and it was clear that the Germans had now lost the war; he was removed however, and taken to the hut of dying people. 00:52:20 He was liberated four days later, and he recollects that he awoke in a clean bed with flowers next to him.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    00:51:58
    Date
    Event:  1961 June 07
    Production:  1961 June 07
    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
    00:00:40:00 to 00:52:38:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2081 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2081 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2081 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2081 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2081 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2081 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2081 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2081 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.

    *Some white dropout between 35-40 minutes on master.
    Copied From
    2" Quad
    Film Source
    Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 2285
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 312
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:46:23
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001698

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