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Eichmann Trial -- Session 88 -- Decision about admissability of Sassen document; Cross-examination of the Accused

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.121 | Film ID: 2121

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    Eichmann Trial -- Session 88 -- Decision about admissability of Sassen document; Cross-examination of the Accused

    Overview

    Description
    The footage begins in the middle of Session 88. Judge Halevi presents the court's decision as to the admissability of the Sassen document. The Sassen document consisted of transcripts from an interview Adolf Eichmann gave to a Nazi Dutch journalist named Willem Sassen over a four-month period in 1957. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2119 (at 00:51:30). Although this is only a small section of Judge Halevi's statement, it is more complete on this tape than on Tape 2119.

    Judge Landau calls for a recess (00:18:35) and all rise as the judges exit. Eichmann leaves the booth. The footage continues with a shot of the prosecutor and the defense attorney. The audio cuts out from 00:19:10 to 00:19:25. Shots of the courtroom during the recess. The camera focuses on the prosecution's table, where Attorney General Gideon Hausner, Assistant State Attorney Gavriel Bach, and Assistant State Attorney Ya'akov Bar-Or are seated. Eichmann enters (00:22:50), sits, and cleans his glasses. There are shots of the audience in the courtroom. Defense counsel Robert Servatius enters with an unidentified woman and both sit down at the defense table. All rise as the judges enter (00:31:00). The audience is seated and Judge Landau examines a document. There are various medium and close-up shots of the audience, the judges, and the prosecution.

    This section of the proceeding concerns the defense's submission of testimony from Alois Steger. Hausner contends that some of the witness's testimony is hearsay and not admissible. Judge Halevi reminds Hausner that the court has already heard hearsay testimony. Hausner says that the prosecution does not wish to delay the proceedings in order to oppose the submission of the document. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2118 (at 00:22:15) but is more complete on this tape than on Tape 2118.

    Servatius presents the deposition of Alois Steger to the court (00:39:50). In his statement, given on 28 March 1961, Steger describes the immediate confiscation of his car upon the arrival of the German army in Budapest, Hungary on 19 March 1944. He complained to SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Kurt Becher, who was assigned to work in Hungary and dealt with arranging the Kasztner Transport, the attempt by the Relief and Rescue Committee of Budapest to bring a train of Hungarian Jews safely to Switzerland. Steger's statement also mentions his personal involvment in the emigration of 318 persons from the Manfred Weiss Works and the delay of transports to Bergen-Belsen. There is a brief discussion about a typographical error on the deposition.

    There is a small section of the proceedings missing. The footage continues with Hausner questioning Eichmann about testimony he gave under interrogation in which he said he would have gladly jumped into his grave knowing that five million Jewish enemies of the Reich had died. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2120 (at 00:17:55 to 00:21:58) and Tape 2123 (at 00:00:43) but footage is less complete on this Tape 2121.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    00:53:42
    Date
    Event:  1961 July 07
    Production:  1961 July 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 German Hebrew
    Genre/Form
    Unedited.
    B&W / Color
    Black & White
    Image Quality
    Good
    Time Code
    00:00:23:00 to 00:54:05:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2121 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2121 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2121 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2121 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2121 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2121 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2121 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2121 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.
    Copied From
    2" Quad
    Film Source
    Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 2389
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 222
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:31:40
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001796

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