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Eichmann Trial -- Session 114 -- Closing statement of the Defense

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.234 | Film ID: 2234

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    Eichmann Trial -- Session 114 -- Closing statement of the Defense

    Overview

    Description
    Session 114. The Judges say they are ready to hear the summing up by the Defense. Dr. Servatius says that the accusations of the Attorney General Hausner, if true, would be worthy of a monument to Jew-haters, saying that Eichmann was some superman able to commit all of these atrocities. Instead, he says, it was the top brass that decided that Eichmann would be the scapegoat for their actions (duplicate footage from Tape 2232).

    00:04:18 Tape jumps, and the Judges enter the courtroom and tell Dr. Servatius to continue his summing up. Servatius comes to the main count of the case, the charge of the extermination in the death camps. He begins by saying that the camps were under the Office of Economy and Administration, and no evidence proves cooperation with Eichmann. The visits of Eichmann to the camps shows that he did not have jurisdiction over them, but instead that he had to plead with them to accomplish anything.

    00:15:03 Tape jumps. Dr. Servatius says that the facts have all been discussed, and that the court has had the opportunity to hear the opinions of Eichmann. It is up to the court to weigh the evidence. Servatius stresses the importance of the documents (only a small fragment of what originally existed), which are the only thing that allows a defense of Eichmann.

    00:22:18 Servatius suggests the weakness of testimony and memory and the ability to fill in missing parts of stories. He says that this should be kept in mind with this case. He says that he could not attack any of the witnesses, they had been through too much already.

    00:26:49 Tape jumps. Dr. Servatius addresses the testimony of Eichmann, saying that the accusations of the Prosecution, and Eichmann's testimony, is a bunch of lies. He points out that Eichmann was always very willing to talk, and through the course of the questioning, remembered more petty details. He says that it is wrong to use cooperation against Eichmann. 00:31:59 The testimony of Rademacher, who said that Eichmann recommended shooting prisoners, is refuted based on the Nuremberg trials. The continuous calmness of Eichmann is addressed, saying that he could not stay so calm in defending a pack of lies. Servatius also discusses the Sassen memoirs, suggesting that alcohol, provocation, and sensationalism evoked the quotations used by the Prosecution. He says that was exacerbated by not bringing up Sassen in cross-examination.

    00:37:00 Tape jumps. Dr. Servatius cites an Israeli law concerning the legality of orders at the time, and refutes the other laws that Eichmann is accused of breaking. He cites the Pentateuch, and what the state did to Moses. The leaders set who was the enemy, regardless of what state of war existed. Persecution is not new to the Jewish people, he says, even though what happened here was unprecedented. The murder of various other peoples, from Native Americans to Huguenots are mentioned, and how none of these peoples' deaths resulted in criminal prosecution.

    00:52:06 Tape jumps. Dr. Servatius addresses the retroactive application of the law, saying that these laws did not exist, and citing precedents that prevents this trial from being carried out. 00:55:40 The statute of limitations is addressed, along with Eichmann's abduction from Argentina, saying that he is beyond the time for prosecution, and that being in Israel violates international law. He says that this trial should not be about revenge, but justice. Separating the individual from the collective is essential. Dr. Servatius asks that they close the case on Eichmann and judge him no more.

    01:04:15 Tape jumps. The President of Court closes the trial, and says that the verdict will not be until at least November. They leave, and others leave the courtroom.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    01:06:09
    Date
    Event:  1961 August 14
    Production:  1961 August 14
    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
    00:00:27:00 to 01:06:36:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2234 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2234 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2234 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2234 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2234 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2234 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2234 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2234 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: 2511
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 233
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:44:14
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001915

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