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Eichmann Trial -- Session 92 -- Cross-examination of the Accused about the Madascar Plan, deportations, "im Auftrage"

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.135 | Film ID: 2135

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    Eichmann Trial -- Session 92 -- Cross-examination of the Accused about the Madascar Plan, deportations, "im Auftrage"

    Overview

    Description
    The camera fades in on Hausner and Servatius seated in the courtroom. Assistant State Attorney Gavriel Bach enters (00:01:34). The camera pans to the empty booth. Adolf Eichmann enters the booth (00:02:51). All rise as the judges enter and Presiding Judge Moshe Landau opens the ninety-second session (00:04:58). Hausner begins cross-examination of the accused (00:05:23).

    Hausner continues his questioning from the previous session about the term "by order" (im Auftrage) which Eichmann used when he signed documents. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2133 (at 00:00:45 and again at 01:01:32). The footage on Tape 2133 is less complete. Eichmann is then questioned about when he first learned of Hitler's order for the "Final Solution" (00:24:48). Hausner attempts to determine exactly when Eichmann learned of the order and he presents a series of documents that show that Eichmann knew of the order much earlier than he claims.

    Hasuner questions Eichmann about the Madagascar Plan and asks when the plan was shelved in favor of the plan to exterminate the Jews (00:28:30). The Madagascar Plan predated the Nazi period but was revived during the war. Under this plan, Europe's Jews were to be expelled to the island of Madgascar, which belonged to the French. Hausner presents a series of documents to the accused asking him to indicate when, in the documents, the phrase "Final Solution" no longer means the Madagascar Plan but instead means extermination (00:37:06). Judge Raveh asks Eichmann to show them a particular document concerning deportations to the East (00:45:22). There is some visual interference but the audio continues uninterrupted (00:46:19).

    Some of the footage repeats. Judge Halevi questions the accused about a document which makes reference to the deportation of 50,000 Jews from Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia to Riga and Minsk (00:52:07). Hausner points out that Eichmann participated in a meeting in Prague on 10 October 1941 during which the deportation of 50,000 Jews was discussed, and that by this point Eichmann was aware that the "Final Solution" meant deportation to the East and then extermination.

    Eichmann is then questioned about his department, Section IVB4, and their involvement with other departments of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA), in matters concerning the press and radio (00:56:38). Eichman testifies that the term "participate" did not mean actually taking part in the work. Hausner asks Eichmann whether he was aware that Eichmann's murderous activities were reported in journals outside Germany (00:59:54). The Attorney General cites a London-based journal called Die Zeitung dated 24 October 1941 which refers to Eichmann as the murderer of the Jews of Germany. Eichmann states that he has found many errors in such documents, and goes on to testify that other documents clearly show that he had nothing to do with "the killing and destruction."

    Hausner returns to the Madagascar plan, asking Eichmann if he ever made any practical attempts to promote it (01:04:23). The accused states that he did preliminary work after the plan had been approved and that he was the initiator of the idea itself. Hausner asks if the Madagascar Plan was meant to be implemented after the war with France was over (01:07:53). Eichmann begins to state that it would have been initiated once the peace treaty was signed when the footage ends. This section is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2134 (at 00:00:35). The footage on Tape 2134 is more complete.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    01:07:25
    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
    00:01:24:00 to 01:08:49:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2135 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2135 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2135 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2135 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2135 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2135 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2135 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2135 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.

    *Large scratch in original master at 24 minutes.
    Copied From
    2" Quad
    Film Source
    Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 2403
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 212
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:45:04
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001810

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