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Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 91 and 92 -- excerpts -- Cross-examination of the Accused about Nisko, Sassen document, Final Solution

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.133 | Film ID: 2133

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    Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 91 and 92 -- excerpts -- Cross-examination of the Accused about Nisko, Sassen document, Final Solution

    Overview

    Description
    The footage begins near the opening of Session 92. Attorney General Gideon Hausner cross-examines Eichmann, who tries to define the term "im Auftrage", which he used when he signed documents. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2135 (at 00:05:23). The footage on Tape 2135 is more complete.

    The video cuts out from 00:02:48 to 00:03:20 and resumes in the middle of Session 91. Hausner questions Eichmann about the extent of his authority in the Nisko Project, which was a plan to concentrate Jews into a "Jewish reservation" around the regions of Lublin and Nisko, Poland. Eichmann, under questioning from Hausner and Judge Halevi, states that he worked under Franz Stahlecker. Stahlecker was an SS officer and commander of Einsatzgruppe A who worked with Eichmann in the development of the Nisko Project. Eichmann maintains that neither he nor Stahlecker came up with the idea but that it was the idea of the "Jewish functionaries" Dr. Loewenherz and Edelstein in Prague, and perhaps Rabbi Dr. Murmelstein (00:05:37). This entire segment is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2131 (beginning at 00:29:37). The footage on Tape 2131 is more complete.

    Some of the session is missing, but the testimony about the Nisko Project continues, with Eichmann testifying that he did not give instructions for the implementation of the plan. Eichmann is asked a series of questions by Hausner about Eichmann's instructions to the returned Nisko deportees that they pose as people returning from a vocational training course. (00:11:06). By the end of October 1939 the deportations to the Nisko region had stopped and by spring 1940 the remaining Jews who had not been dispersed throughout the Lublin area were sent back to Austria and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. This entire segment is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2131 (beginning at 00:47:59). The footage on Tape 2131 is more complete.

    A section of the proceeding is missing and footage resumes with Hausner questioning the accused about whether he supervised the deportations and how long he was in Nisko. When asked if he ever consulted Hans Frank, the Governor General of Poland, Eichmann states that at the time Frank was not yet the Governor General (00:18:31). Hausner becomes visibly agitated by Eichmann's answers and states that Eichmann is lying to the court and that he knew the Jews were going to be exterminated (00:21:50).

    A very small part of the session is missing. Eichmann is asked whether or not he believes that people held in detention have the right to lie. Eichmann states that this is a prevailing German concept but that he himself is attempting to bring the truth to the forefront. Hausner asks him if he talked to Sassen in order to remove his guilt (00:29:57) and whether he told Sassen the truth (00:32:02). Willem Sassen was a Dutch journalist attached to an Einsatzgruppe unit during the war. Following the war, sentenced to death in his own country, Sassen fled to South America where he met Eichmann. Over the course of four months in 1957 he interviewed Eichmann; the tapes and transcripts were relied upon heavily as evidence during Eichmann's trial.

    Footage resumes in the middle of Session 92. This portion of the session concerns the development of the Final Solution. Hausner asks the accused to read a selection from the Sassen document. Eichmann, before reading, states that he was often drunk when he gave his interviews with Sassen and did not know what he was saying (00:34:36). Eichmann examines the document. The camera cuts to Hausner, who appears agitated as he waits for Eichmann to finish reading. Hausner asks Eichmann if he said the things written in the document and the accused once again states that he was under the influence of alcohol and does not think that he did say these things. A portion of this section is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2134 (at 00:44:22). The footage on Tape 2134 is more complete.

    A large section of the proceedings is missing and footage resumes with further cross-examination about the Final Solution. Hausner asks the accused whether he was Reinhard Heydrich's specialist (00:46:04) and Eichmann replies that he was not the specialist officer for the Final Solution but was the specialist in charge of Jewish Affairs. Several documents are presented that show that Eichmann was referred to as a specialist. There is a disruption in the court and Judge Landau calls for order (00:52:00). Hausner then asks if during Ernst Kaltenbrunner's time, Eichmann remained the specialist in charge of Jewish Affairs and the chief of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA). The remaining footage in this section concerns others who were involved with implementing the extermination of the Jews and whether there was anyone else in charge of Jewish Affairs (00:59:10). This section is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2136 (at 00:00:22). The footage on Tape 2136 is more complete.

    Footage resumes during the beginning of Session 92 with the discussion of the term "im Auftrage" used by Eichmann under his signature on documents. Part of this section is duplicate footage found at the beginning of this Tape 2133 (at 00:00:45). This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2135 (at 00:05:23). The footage on Tape 2135 is more complete.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    01:05:23
    Date
    Event:  1961 July 11
    Production:  1961 July 11
    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
    Mixed
    Time Code
    00:00:43:00 to 01:06:06:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2133 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2133 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2133 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2133 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2133 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2133 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2133 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2133 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.

    *Breaks in picture due to problems with camera used to record Eichmann during the trial.
    Copied From
    2" Quad
    Film Source
    Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 2401
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 334
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:45:03
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001808

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