1981 International Liberators Conference collection
Contains testimonies and articles relating to the liberation of Dachau concentration camp by several United States Army units.
- Subtitle
- Dachau (Ackerman - Zolkower)
- Date
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1981
- Extent
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6 folders
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Record last modified: 2023-08-25 16:37:36
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn502604
Also in 1981 International Liberators Conference collection
Contains testimonies written by concentration camp liberators during the 1981 International Liberators Conference held in Washington, D.C., in October 1981. The testimonies describe liberation experiences at various Nazi concentration camps throughout Europe at the end of World War II. Also included are letters from Miles Lerman and Elie Wiesel to the liberators describing the International Liberators Conference. Some of these materials may be combined into a single collection in the future.
Closing ceremony
Film
The concluding ceremony continues with Elie Wiesel presenting liberators medals to: Brig. Gen. Gray of Britain; Lt. Col. Ariech Pinchuk of the Jewish Brigade; Prof. Dr. Louis de Jong of the Netherlands; Capt. L. J. Tempero of New Zealand; The Hon. Trygve Bratelli of Norway; Brig. Gen. Franciszek Skibinski of Poland; Lt. Gen. Pavel Danilovich Gudz of the USSR; Col. Branko Pavolic of Yugoslavia. 01:18:27 Speaker explains the medals and where they will be kept. Presents medal on behalf of members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council to Elie Wiesel. 01:20:11 Staff are thanked. Suggests that Wiesel be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. 01:22:25 Dr. Leo Eitinger is introduced. Thanks the creators of the conference, the liberators, and for having restored the belief in humanity. (p. 196 "Liberation of Camps") 01:33:41 Elie Wiesel is introduced. He talks about the first book he wrote about the war, suffering humanity, evil. Describes being in a hospital in Buna, Auschwitz, and the humanity of the doctor (Leo Eitinger). Describes his fear of this conference failing. Talks of the harmony of the conference, the fact that there were no tensions. Describes coming to terms with the abnormality of death after the camps. "So, I was afraid maybe we will cry" - another fear of the conference. 01:45:40 Talks about not being bitter or vengeful, not needing to go to lunatic asylums for being depressed. Wants to meet again. Talks of there being a reason to justify gratitude. (p. 198 "Liberation of Camps") The panel adjourns, people mingle, CU of a certificate.
Opening ceremony
Film
People mingling, music in background. Conference preparations. 01:11:07 Miles Lerman introduces the International Liberators Conference. Explains what the conference will consist of. He explains that he was a Polish partisan and on his return to his hometown; only 11 of the original 16,000 Jews survived. Every survivor has a similar tale of misery. 01:18:11 Rabbi Nadich prays. (visually fuzzy) 01:21:15 Elliot Abrams, U.S. Dept of State introduces next speaker, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Secretary of State. Discusses the difficulty of such a history and how to remember it. 01:29:25 Elie Wiesel is introduced. 01:31:40 Wiesel starts. Discusses a bond established between people here, "we became each other's witnesses." Describes liberation and the liberators' reaction; what the liberators meant to the survivors - they were heroes and idols. Talks about the US Holocaust Memorial Council (of whom he is the chairman); Holocaust denial; the unity of all the Allies and their battle against Nazism. 01:47:43 Speaks in French. The liberators stopped the process of killing mankind. 01:51:00 Speaks in English again, talks of telling the tale yet there seems to still be a threat. 01:53:30 Dedicating oneself (liberators and survivors) to preventing earth from becoming a prison again. Raising ones voice against hate, forgetfulness, war - because who will if we don't. Testifying together is why we are here. 01:57:56 Introduction of all the representatives of delegations at conference.
Resistance panel
Film
End of the Resistance panel with part of speech by Benjamin Meed. (p. 132 "Liberation of Camps") 01:03:35 Lautenberg (chairman) sets his background and aim of conference. Questions and answers: 01:12:46 Jakobsen. 01:16:29 Louis de Jong. 01:18:30 Meed. 01:19:54 Jakobsen. 01:20:08 Aubry. 01:21:40 Gruber. 01:22:48 Lautenberg. 01:23:49 Gruber. 01:25:32 Meed. (p. 135 "Liberation of Camps")
Uprising panel
Film
Irving Greenberg moderates the Uprising panel and introduces the subject. He explains various modes of resistance. 01:02:19 Vladka Meed, courier in Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Explains her role as a member of the Jewish underground; had to obtain arms for the organization. 01:06:35 Explains about the uprising and the attack. Talks of unity of resistance and the plead for help from the Polish government in exile in England. (p. 164 "Liberation of Camps") 01:16:48 Richard Glazar, survivor of Treblinka camp and a part of the uprising. Explains character and conditions of camp. Antisemitism in Poland meant they couldn't expect help from the outside. 01:21:25 Explains preparations for the uprising. CU, man drawing members of the panel. Less than 10% had military training, few had access to SS barracks and ammunition stores. Copied key for munitions store. Problems with grenades delayed uprising. Traitors warned SS guards. Treblinka was burnt down. (p. 166 "Liberation of Camps") 01:27:48 Ester Raab. One of the 14 survivors of Sobibor. Describes jobs there and atrocities that took place (p. 167 "Liberation of Camps") 01:32:00 Greenberg asks panel what resistance/uprisings showed. Raab explained that it was better to get shot than to go to the gas chambers. Glazar said survival was the "faith of life, never giving up." Meed said that the belief in unity gave the youth strength to lead, plan, and organize revolts. 01:36:25 Leon Wells, Sonderkommando 1005. Described job of digging up graves, burning bodies, grinding bones, removing gold. Avoided death by an SS mistake, he thought he was dead. Year later had to dig up grave he was meant to be in as the Sonderkommando had to look for the missing body. Dug up graves of Polish leadership . Explains how after the uprising he survived because a Polish family hid him. (p. 168 "Liberation of Camps") 01:44:52 Alexander Donat, in Warsaw Ghetto, hid in bunker. Explains about Jewish fighting organization. Describes history of bunker and passages between attics and cellars. Describes uprising and setting fire to the Ghetto. Cuts out in the middle of a sentence. (p. 169 "Liberation of Camps")
Closing ceremony
Film
INT, conference room, audience sits, panel prepares to speak. 01:07:02 Rabbi introduces concluding ceremony. 01:10:00 Miles Lerman pays tribute to all those who died. 01:14:11 Moment of silence. Bugler plays taps. 01:15:11 to 01:20:45 Liberator's names are read by Mark Talisman, in recognition by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. 01:21:55 Hank de Jarnet (sp?), a Dachau liberator, accepts scroll in memory of Walter J. Felenz (sp?), Rainbow Division. 01:22:46 Brig. Gen. James L. Collins, Jr. 01:24:10 Cantor Isaac Goodfriend, survivor, member of USHMC, and Malca Swartz (sp?), survivor, perform songs: Partisans' Hymn (in English). "Eternity" (in Yiddish). (more) 01:42:57 Liberators medals presented by Miles Lerman and Elie Wiesel to John Eisenhower; Andre Mernier on behalf of Belgium; Charles Mills Drury on behalf of Canada; Minister Eduard Kukan on behalf of Czechoslovakia; Frode Jakobsen on behalf of Denmark.
Opening ceremony
Film
Drum role, speaker introduces delegations. Flags representing each country are bought in. 01:05:03 Applause. Speaker talks of the flag which flew over Dachau and was bought down upon liberation; flag is bought into room, symbolizing all concentration camps. It is carried by three survivors, folded up and put on floor - it is not fit to be put up. 01:07:33 State liberators are applauded. 01:08:42 Roberta Peters sings "America the Beautiful." 01:11:24 Applause. 01:12:12 General Michael Gray, of Britain. Introduces British delegation. Discusses responsibility to ensure younger generations are aware of the horrors of Holocaust. (p. 17 "Liberation of Camps") 01:18:15 Lieutenant General Pavel Danilovich Gudz, of the USSR. Speaks in Russian. Discusses anti-fascist struggle, the following of Lenin's peaceful foreign policy. Importance of preventing another world war. (p. 18 "Liberation of Camps") 01:27:29 Jean Laurain, of France. Thanks everyone for challenging the Holocaust, praises the formation of the conference. It is everyone's duty to remember what happened and awaken vigilance. (p. 19 "Liberation of Camps") 01:35:49 Announcements. Conference staff introductions. 01:37:12 Reverend Roy Eckford (sp?) performs the benediction. 01:39:41 Recess.
Medical Personnel panel
Film
Hadassah Rosensaft chairs the Medical panel, introduces topic of doctors and medics in the camp system and in the liberation process. CU, Hadassah Rosensaft in coral, with laryngitis. She is a survivor of Bergen-Belsen. Reads apology from British army doctor for not being there. Introduces first speaker Prof. Leo Eitinger, psychiatrist, member of Norwegian delegation, and Auschwitz survivor. 01:03:23 Discusses medical doctors in camps. Camera pans around audience. 01:05:08 He worked as a prison doctor in the infirmary of a sub-camp in Auschwitz. Speaks of the importance of doctors and gives example of patient stories. 01:09:24 Talks of cruelty of guards systems of values of prisoners, especially doctors. Doctors cared about other prisoners more than themselves. 01:12:35 Prisoners saying they were seriously ill, thinking they would get an easier ride, not realizing they were going straight to the gas chambers. 01:15:47 Denying death could be life saving. (p. 56 "Liberation of Camps") 01:16:45 Chairwoman introduces next speaker: Mrs. Marie Ellifritz, a nurse in the U.S. Army. Went to Mauthausen 3 days after liberation, stayed 8 weeks. 01:17:23 Discusses her experience, talks of emotions involved on the job, trauma. 01:18:39 Had a tremendous job ahead, to sort dead from living, giving blankets, water, food, shelter, pajamas, etc. 01:20:07 Nurses got physically sick from dysentery, and sickness of the heart form what they saw. 01:20:50 "Survival was always name of the game." First time saw naked men, couldn't control reaction, embarrassed, prisoners however were incapable of reacting. 01:21:50 Convincing prisoners they were really free. Describes the liberation process - rumors of liberation, gates open, how long does it take for reality to become meaningful to each of you? Some too close to death to be able to accept enormity of final freedom. 01:23:20 Both sides struggling to take in what's happening - inmates and liberators. Both hearing rumors. 01:24:30 Wanting to tell everyone about the horrors, but people thought she was losing her mind telling such stories. Repression came quickly. 01:25:19 Visuals cut out briefly. She blows her nose. 01:25:54 In 1977, she returned to Mauthausen. Describes going back, found peace with herself. 01:26:30 Discovering love there, starts crying. Wants to know about lives of survivors - medical effects, psychological, jobs, how long live, post-traumatic effect. 01:28:27 Prays for love, peace, crying. Applause. (p. 58 "Liberation of Camps") 01:29:07 Chairwoman introduces Dr. Douglas Kelling, American psychiatrist, Dachau liberator. 01:29:30 He describes Dachau - conditions, prisoners, confusion in camp, bodies, showers. CU, H. Rosensaft looking distressed. 01:32:35 Describes smell of bodies, furnaces, shooting of inmates. Medical problems - typhus, carried by lice. 270 patients died each day from typhus. Speaks of different causes of death. 01:34:35 Prisoners in charge when he entered camp. Prisoners not believing what was happening. 01:35:29 Still had self-esteem and pride. Inmates foremost thought was finding their friends and family, but their hometowns were probably destroyed, and relatives in camps or killed. This led to depression. Physically weak, but mentally strong to endure what they went through. Prisoners were naturally angry at their captors. 01:38:00 Thought of getting out of camp probably suppressed by some abnormal mental states and thoughts of immediate time being. 01:38:45 Applause. (p. 61 "Liberation of Camps") 01:38:55 Chairwoman introduces Dr. George Tievsky, from Washington D.C., served in 66th field hospital, liberated Dachau - there for 6 weeks. 01:39:21 Gives his background prior to going to Dachau - seen drug addiction and malnutrition. Describes field hospitals and their use prior to liberation. 01:41:20 Went to sub-camp of Dachau. Describes setup of field hospital. Not enough medical personnel. Wrote letters to his now wife. 01:42:20 Reads letter (Jan. 4, 1945) describing situation and conditions in Dachau. Typhus - goes into great detail. 01:47:10 Starvation and other medical issues he dealt with. Medical terminology and graphic details of what they suffered. 01:49:30 Primary problem was feeding patients and administrating vitamins. 01:49:40 When Army realized patients weren't GIs they refused to provide food and medicine. Tievsky describes what he had to feed them and the effects. 01:50:45 "For 6 years we waited for the Americans to come, are we to die of hunger now?" He described the guilt, anger, and helplessness of not being able to help more. 01:51:19 By the time he left there was adequate food but it was difficult to get medicines. 01:51:33 Refers back in time to some of his female patients. 01:53:55 Describes meeting Dr. Joseph Heller, the chief doctor in Jewish section of camp. Out of 164 doctors in compound, there were only 59 survivors one year later. Heller had no medicine, chimney sweep smuggled it in for him. Heller walked 10 miles at night to do an operation on patient. Heller doing rounds with Tievsky. 01:56:35 Heller sees himself in mirror for the first time in years. 01:57:05 Describes saying farewell to patients at Dachau, before he went to Japan: "Time will pass and it will be over soon." One of they said "Yes that is what she told me when we ruled the freight cars, for days and that is what she said all the months in the concentration camp." "Jews will always live" added the first. 01:58:08 Applause. (p. 62 "Liberation of Camps") 01:58:25 H. Rosensaft opens up floor for questions to the panel. 3 people stand forward with their experiences in camp. 02:06:35 Chairwoman interrupts saying this time is for questions. 02:07:07 Were medical personnel briefed? No. 02:08:07 Were there psychiatric problems of liberators? Physical illness overran mental issues at the time of liberation. 02:09:22 Chairwoman thanks everyone, talks of self-sacrifice and human devotion to the prison doctors had. People break, mix, chat.
Historians and War Crimes Tribunals panel
Film
End of Historians panel. Hilberg describes capturing Germans and interviewing an officer, who wanted to have a philosophical conversation: "don't you agree that Hitler is a great man?" 01:02:09 Announcements about getting the liberated to meet their liberators. 01:07:20 to 01:08:59 Gap. War Crimes Tribunal panel begins with chairman Bernard Fischman. 01:10:24 Dr. Pilichowski (Poland), director of the Main Commission of the Investigation of Nazi Crimes in Poland. Talks about the legality of prosecuting Nazi criminals; the desire for revenge. Speaks in Polish, with English translation over. (p. 112 "Liberation of Camps") 01:23:31 G.I.A.D. Draper (UK), international lawyer, participated in trials of German war criminals before British military tribunals. Describes the procedure of prosecuting war criminals; evidence of criminality - documents, photos. (p. 113 "Liberation of Camps") 01:37:11 Nikolai M. Kotlyar (USSR), prosecutor of Nazi war criminals. Explains the pain of the Soviet people caused by the war and Hitler's Barbarossa plan to destroy the USSR. Talks of Soviet Union in wartime, provisions against war propaganda. Briefly mentions the threat of nuclear arms and the importance of preventing them. Speaks in Russian, with English translation over. (p. 115 "Liberation of Camps") 01:49:23 Delphin Debenest (France), in French resistance, survivor of Buchenwald, adjunct prosecutor at Nuremberg. Describes various war crimes that took place. Speaks in French, with English translation over. (p. 117 "Liberation of Camps") 02:00:38 Gideon Hausner (Israel), prosecuted Eichmann. Talks of plan of final solution and the background of those who implemented it; who were the Nazis? Intellectual, educated men were Nazis. Eichmann trial, ideology and philosophy. Emanuel Kant. (p. 118 "Liberation of Camps") 02:17:20 Adrian Fisher (US), technical advisor to the American judges. Explains what Nuremberg actually did and what its limitations were. Nuremberg trials explained the true extent of the atrocities, established that the Holocaust happened and that there wasn't much opposition to it within Germany. The trial was based on occupation powers. (p. 121 "Liberation of Camps")
Discovering the "Final Solution" panel
Film
Final session of conference, 'Discovering the Final Solution,' concludes with panel discussion moderated by Marvin Kalb. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Vassily Petrenko, speaking during discussion. Brief overlap with Film ID 2656, then continuation of discussion of Soviet Army and liberation of Auschwitz. Wolfe confirms the rapid Soviet advance in southern Poland, and capture of documentation Kalb asks why the railroad lines weren't bombed. Wolfe replies, but defers to Raul Hilberg, "sitting in the room." Pehle speaks of writing a strong letter to John McCloy. Kalb asks Jan Karski to tell of his meeting with Roosevelt. Karski obliges, including dramatic quotes from FDR. (Picture jiggle) Karski replies to another question from Kalb (Was he surprised by Roosevelt's response?): Roosevelt was interested exclusively in Polish political issues. So was Henry Stimson. At that time I had no human feelings. I was a recording machine. Now I have feelings. I would have gone crazy. ...Karski recalls meeting with Ziegelboym. Reports their dialogue. Shmuel Ziegelboym left a bigger impression than Belzec, than the ghetto. He committed suicide then, in May 1943. So don't ask me, was I surprised. (Very spontaneous and passionate, with a trace of humor.) Kalb begins to wind up the session. Thanks the panelists, an extraordinary set of individuals. Miles Lerman expresses thanks, and announces that Elie Wiesel will now conduct a press conference. He invites several individuals to remain. Press conference. Quiet is requested. First question: Would Wiesel make a short statement summarizing the impact of this conference on the world at large. Wiesel points out the unity of those present, the liberators and the liberated, a sacred task. Have touched on basic, essential questions in the world today. This is only a beginning. Unusual harmony among the delegations. Question re. Holocaust denial. Wiesel replies. Question re. numbers of Jews killed, and non-Jews who died in the concentration camps. Wiesel replies, wishing Raul Hilberg were still in the room, as he is the expert. Miles Lerman makes a statement about Yad Vashem, and invites to the podium its two highest representatives, Gideon Hausner, Chairman of the Council, and Dr. Yitzhak Arad, Director. Head of French delegation speaks. Arad speaks. (Horizontal movement of image is pronounced. Continues to worsen through and beyond.) Gideon Hausner makes a statement re. Yad Vashem's memorialization of non-Jews who hid Jews, and what it meant to do that. "3000 such Righteous..." And asks if an Israeli delegation might visit Babi Yar, directs his comments to the head of the Soviet delegation. Soviet speaker talks of Ukraine, Belorus, and consequences of hiding Jews. Wiesel carefully addresses to the Soviet general his personal feelings when he visited Babi Yar two years earlier, where the reference to Jews is missing from the monument. The body language between the two speaks volumes. Jews were killed simply because they were Jews. I'm pleading with you to use your influence to convey our sensitivities; that this is not a matter of polemics, but a matter of respect for those who were killed because they were Jews. Young man in audience asks about congressional vote on this day re. a matter that affects the security of Israel. Question regarding opening of Soviet records and archives, particularly pertaining to the Holocaust, could be opened for research.... (The unity is getting a little ragged; the atmosphere slightly less brotherly.)
Medical Personnel panel
Film
Considerable technical difficulty in first two minutes of tape. Miles Lerman apologizes for mistake in omitting Jan Karski's name from the published program. Marvin Kalb, moderator, introduces speakers for this final session of the conference. John Pehle, of the War Refugee Board, speaks. Cutaways to audience include David Marwell. 10:40:40 Jan Karski to podium; speaks. Karski reads his presentation, scarcely looking up. Cutaways to audience include Chris Lerman. 10:50:06 Pan of audience includes Raul Hilberg, David Marwell. Karski continues. 11:08:30 Applause. 11:09:01 Romana Primus in audience. Kalb invites General Petrenko to speak. 11:09:15 Petrenko speaks, in Russian. 11:22:00 Kalb invites Robert Wolfe to speak. 11:22:30 Wolfe: "The last speaker in a late-running session is always to blame for its running late." ... "My discovery of the Holocaust has been through the captured records of the perpetrators." Speaks of Nuremberg Trial documents and evidence, record of meeting 12 November 1938 with Goering and others, what was established there. Controversy over the nature of the record that survived. References to revisionists and Holocaust deniers. 11:28:23 Speaks of Wannsee Conference Protocols. Authenticity is incontrovertible. [This entire presentation is extremely interesting and detailed; should be carefully cataloged.] Mentions Hans Frank, Reinhard Heydrich, Rudolf Hoess, and other perpetrators. Discusses aerial photographs of Auschwitz Birkenau. Concluding statement at 11:37:30. The duty of our generation is to avoid further muddling the record. 11:38:48. Applause. 11:39:03 Marvin Kalb returns to the main questions: What did the world know? and When did it know it? Panel discussion proceeds. Tape ends as Kalb asks Wolfe a question re. railroads. [Tape rewinding is also recorded.]
Concluding ceremony
Film
13:06:15 to 13:11:55 Lt. Gen. Pavel Danilovich Gudz of the USSR speaks in Russian. He discusses the availability of American books translated into Russian and the lack of Russian books translated into English. Elie Wiesel makes the proposition that for every book translated into English, the United States will translate a book into Russian. 13:11:39 Miles Lerman announces the time of the closing ceremony. [TAPE JUMPS. COLOR BARS FROM 13:40:08 TO 13:41:16] 14:12:54 INT, conference room. [TAPE JUMPS] 14:14:14 The closing ceremony. INT, conference room, audience sits, panel prepares to speak.14:21:21 Rabbi Bernard Raskus introduces concluding ceremony. 14:30:32 Miles Lerman pays tribute to all those who died. 14:27:48 Moment of silence. Bugler plays taps. 14:30:36 Liberators names are read by Mark Talisman, in recognition by the US Holocaust Memorial Council. 14:35:27 Hank de Jarnet (sp?), a Dachau liberator, accepts scroll in memory of Walter J. Felenz (sp?), Rainbow Division. 01:22:46 Brig. Gen. James L. Collins, Jr. 14:38:16 Cantor Isaac Goodfriend, survivor, member of USHMC, and Malca Swartz (sp?), survivor, perform songs: Partisans' Hymn (in English). "Eternity" (in Yiddish). (more) 14:56:52 Liberators medals presented by Miles Lerman and Elie Wiesel to John Eisenhower; Andre Mernier on behalf of Belgium; Charles Mills Drury on behalf of Canada; Minister Eduard Kukan on behalf of Czechoslovakia; Frode Jakobsen on behalf of Denmark; Jean Laurain on behalf of France; Brig. Gen. Gray of Britain.
Discovering the "Final Solution" panel and Press Conference
Film
Final session of conference, 'Discovering the Final Solution,' concludes with panel discussion moderated by Marvin Kalb. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Vassily Petrenko, speaking during discussion. Brief overlap with Film ID 2656, then continuation of discussion of Soviet Army and liberation of Auschwitz. Wolfe confirms the rapid Soviet advance in southern Poland, and capture of documentation Kalb asks why the railroad lines weren't bombed. Wolfe replies, but defers to Raul Hilberg, "sitting in the room." Pehle speaks of writing a strong letter to John McCloy. Kalb asks Jan Karski to tell of his meeting with Roosevelt. Karski obliges, including dramatic quotes from FDR. To 01:10:20. (Picture jiggle) Karski replies to another question from Kalb (Was he surprised by Roosevelt's response?): Roosevelt was interested exclusively in Polish political issues. So was Henry Stimson. 01:11:00 At that time I had no human feelings. I was a recording machine. Now I have feelings. I would have gone crazy. ...Karski recalls meeting with Ziegelboym. 01:12:00 Reports their dialogue. 01:13:50 Shmuel Ziegelboym left a bigger impression than Belzec, than the ghetto. He committed suicide then, in May 1943. 01:14:02 So don't ask me, was I surprised. (Very spontaneous and passionate, with a trace of humor.) 01:14:40 Kalb begins to wind up the session. Thanks the panelists, an extraordinary set of individuals. 01:15:45 Miles Lerman expresses thanks, and announces that Elie Wiesel will now conduct a press conference. He invites several individuals to remain. Press conference begins 01:16:43. Quiet is requested. First question: Would Wiesel make a short statement summarizing the impact of this conference on the world at large. Wiesel points out the unity of those present, the liberators and the liberated, a sacred task. Have touched on basic, essential questions in the world today. This is only a beginning. Unusual harmony among the delegations. Question re. Holocaust denial. Wiesel replies. 01:23:30 Question re. numbers of Jews killed, and non-Jews who died in the concentration camps. Wiesel replies, wishing Raul Hilberg were still in the room, as he is the expert. 01:26 Miles Lerman makes a statement about Yad Vashem, and invites to the podium its two highest representatives, Gideon Hausner, Chairman of the Council, and Dr. Yitzhak Arad, Director. Head of French delegation speaks. 01:36 Arad speaks. (Horizontal movement of image is pronounced. Continues to worsen through 01:40, 41, and beyond.) 01:51:45 Gideon Hausner makes a statement re. Yad Vashem's memorialization of non-Jews who hid Jews, and what it meant to do that. "3000 such Righteous..." And asks if an Israeli delegation might visit Babi Yar, directs his comments to the head of the Soviet delegation. Soviet speaker talks of Ukraine, Belorus, and consequences of hiding Jews. 01:57 Wiesel carefully addresses to the Soviet general his personal feelings when he visited Babi Yar two years earlier, where the reference to Jews is missing from the monument. The body language between the two speaks volumes. Jews were killed simply because they were Jews. I'm pleading with you to use your influence to convey our sensitivities; that this is not a matter of polemics, but a matter of respect for those who were killed because they were Jews. 02:00:02 Young man in audience asks about congressional vote on this day re. a matter that affects the security of Israel. Question regarding opening of Soviet records and archives, particularly pertaining to the Holocaust, could be opened for research.... (The unity is getting a little ragged; the atmosphere slightly less brotherly.)
Dinner speakers: John Eisenhower, Claire Booth Luce, and others
Film
John Eisenhower speaks at podium; dinner event. Speaks as a witness of the liberation of Buchenwald. Describes April 12-13, 1945, when Pres. Roosevelt died. His father's reaction was even stronger to visiting Ohrdruf. Reads quotation from Gen. Eisenhower's letter to Gen. George Marshall describing the visit. (Quotation in Permanent Exhibition and on Museum exterior). 10:27:10 Mark Talisman introduces Claire Booth Luce, who speaks slowly and dramatically, refers to Nordhausen. 10:35:45 Mark Talisman introduces Belgian, Andre Mernier. Speaks in French. 10:39:35 Introduction Charles Mills (Drury?) from Canada. 10:45:15 Czech Minister Eduard Kukan, speaks in English. One of the youngest heads of delegations here. Refers to liberation and preservation of Theresienstadt. 10:52:00 From Denmark, the Hon. Frode Jakobsen, in English. Speaks of Danish efforts to protect Jewish compatriots. Of rescue, of resistance in Denmark. Moral issues. "It is dangerous for a people not to fight against what it recognizes as evil." "We had to stand up and fight, with fear in our hearts." "Moral indignation was the true origin of the Danish resistance, and nothing created....such anger as the persecution of our good compatriots, the Jews." 10:59:30 Applause. From France, Minister Jean Tourain, speaks in French. 11:07:10 New Zealand: Capt. L. J. Tempero, in uniform with much gold braid. Naval officer. No New Zealand troops as such were involved in the liberation of any camp. Close ties with England, Great Britain, a large number of New Zealanders served in the British Army, and were involved. 11:12:05 Prof. de Jong, the Dutch delegation consists of 2 Jewish survivors of Auschwitz, a non-Jewish survivor who helped arrange the uprising at the gas chambers, president of the Dutch Auschwitz Association, and several historians. "The Holocaust was not -- I repeat, not -- a unique event in mankind's recent history." 70 years ago, the Armenians. One million were wiped out by the Turks.
Speakers during dinner
Film
Dinner conference, unknown speaker talks about the conference. 10:27:55 Yugoslavian Col. Branko Pavlovic is introduced. He greets everyone on behalf of the Yugoslavian delegation. 10:31:03 Talks of Yugoslavia saying no to Hitler. Discusses uprising under Tito. 10:33:40 Hitler's victims, wounds fascism has inflicted upon the people. 10:35:15 Talks of never forgetting what has happened, the conference will help this. Peace must never be threatened. 10:38:10 Chairman introduces Prof. Col. G.I.A.D. Draper of the UK delegation. Thanks for UK delegation being invited, pays respect to the Chairman. Holocaust must never be allowed to be forgotten. Everyone should be educated in it. 10:41:05 Talks about the possibility of making Holocaust denial a criminal offense. 10:41:46 Chairman introduces Lt. Col. Arieh Pinchuk of the Jewish Brigade. Asks delegations to salute the President of the U.S. for holding the conference. "Thank you America." 10:44:07 Tribute and thanks to Allied forces for liberating the camps, special thanks to the Red Army. 10:47:31 Tribute to the British Army and people for allowing the Jewish Brigade to be set up. 10:49:06 If the flag of Buchenwald is not to be hoisted again there are three things which must be done: 1) don't forget, pass on memories and effects. 2) don't distort, do not sugar-coat what happened. 3) don't abandon or criticize the state of Israel for being over-cautious, suspicious or afraid. 10:51:50 Chairman introduces Elie Wiesel, Chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. 10:52:45 Introduction. Tells a story about a man going to a city where everyone is wrong and corrupt. He decides to save the people by shouting that they must repent. He wrote articles in papers and spread the word but nothing changed. At first people were amused, but then they got bored at being told falsehood was wrong. Years later, a child asked the just-man "why do you go on?" He said in the beginning he was convinced that by shouting loud enough people would listen and change. Now I continue because I don't want them to change me. End of story. 10:57:47 Meetings like this that shows him that sometimes his pessimism is wrong, and that occasionally one gesture can change people. Tonight some hope is justified.
Discovering the "Final Solution" panel
Film
Considerable technical difficulty in first two minutes of tape. Miles Lerman apologizes for mistake in omitting Jan Karski's name from the published program. Marvin Kalb, moderator, introduces speakers for this final session of the conference. John Pehle, of the War Refugee Board, speaks. Cutaways to audience include David Marwell. 10:40:40 Jan Karski to podium; speaks. Karski reads his presentation, scarcely looking up. Cutaways to audience include Chris Lerman. 10:50:06 Pan of audience includes Raul Hilberg, David Marwell. Karski continues. 11:08:30 Applause. 11:09:01 Romana Primus in audience. Kalb invites General Petrenko to speak. 11:09:15 Petrenko speaks, in Russian. 11:22:00 Kalb invites Robert Wolfe to speak. 11:22:30 Wolfe: "The last speaker in a late-running session is always to blame for its running late." ... "My discovery of the Holocaust has been through the captured records of the perpetrators." Speaks of Nuremberg Trial documents and evidence, record of meeting 12 November 1938 with Goering and others, what was established there. Controversy over the nature of the record that survived. References to revisionists and Holocaust deniers. 11:28:23 Speaks of Wannsee Conference Protocols. Authenticity is incontrovertible. [This entire presentation is extremely interesting and detailed; should be carefully cataloged.] Mentions Hans Frank, Reinhard Heydrich, Rudolf Hoess, and other perpetrators. Discusses aerial photographs of Auschwitz Birkenau. Concluding statement at 11:37:30. The duty of our generation is to avoid further muddling the record. 11:38:48. Applause. 11:39:03 Marvin Kalb returns to the main questions: What did the world know? and When did it know it? Panel discussion proceeds. Tape ends as Kalb asks Wolfe a question re. railroads. [Tape rewinding is also recorded.]
Military and Resistance panels
Film
Questions on Military panel. 01:04:35 Resistance panel begins with Chairman Frank Lautenberg. 01:08:40 Louis de Jong, historian. Talks on Dutch resistance. (p. 126 "Liberation of Camps") 01:22:21 Renee Aubry, speaks in French, Chief of Cabinet in Ministry of Veterans; widow of resistance fighter. Talks on resistance from France and within the camps. (p. 128 "Liberation of Camps") 01:32:00 Frode Jakobsen, resistance fighter from Denmark. Talks about resistance in Denmark, political and moral freedom. (p. 129 "Liberation of Camps") 01:42:50 Branko Lakic, partisan fighter from Yugoslavia. Discusses the Yugoslav role in war, figures of wounded, killed, etc. (p. 131 "Liberation of Camps") 01:51:34 Samuel Gruber, Polish partisan. Describes joining partisan and actions taken against Germans (p. 132 "Liberation of Camps") 02:00:43 Benjamin Meed, survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto. Cuts off (p. 133 "Liberation of Camps")
Resistance panel
Film
Resistance panel continues with Branko Lakic. (p. 131 "Liberation of Camps") 02:00:32 Samuel Gruber. (p. 132 "Liberation of Camps") 02:09:41 Benjamin Meed, survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto. Talks about the people of the Warsaw Ghetto, describes Ghetto. (p. 134 "Liberation of Camps") 02:21:00 Lautenberg (chairman) sets his background and aim of conference. Questions and answers. Jakobsen. 02:34:07 Louis de Jong. 02:36:07 Meed. 02:37:30 Jakobsen. 02:37:47 Aubry. 02:39:18 Gruber. 02:40:22 Lautenberg. 02:41:27 Gruber. 02:43:08 Meed. (p. 135 "Liberation of Camps")
Historians and War Crimes Tribunals panels
Film
End of Historians panel with Yehuda Bauer's speech. 16:19:38 Hilberg tells of his position in the 45th division during the war. He was not at the liberation of Dachau. Describes capturing Germans and interviewing an officer, who wanted to have a philosophical conversation: "don't you agree that Hitler is a great man?" 16:23:00 Announcements about getting the liberated to meet their liberators. War Crimes tribunal begins with chairman Bernard Fischman. 16:31:17 Dr. Pilichowski, (Poland), director of the Main Commission of the Investigation of Nazi Crimes in Poland. Talks about the legality of prosecuting Nazi criminals; the desire for revenge. Speaks in Polish, written translation. (p. 112 "Liberation of Camps") 16:44:27 G.I.A.D. Draper (UK), international lawyer, participated in trials of German war criminals before British military tribunals. Describes the procedure of prosecuting war criminals; evidence of criminality - documents, photos. (p. 113 "Liberation of Camps") 16:58:07 Nikolai M. Kotlyar (USSR), prosecutor of Nazi war criminals. Explains the pain of the Soviet people caused by the war and Hitler's Barbarossa plan to destroy the USSR. Talks of Soviet Union in wartime, provisions against war propaganda. Briefly mentions the threat of nuclear arms and the importance of preventing them. Speaks in Russian, written translation. (p. 115 "Liberation of Camps") 17:10:17 Delphin Debenest (France), in French resistance, survivor of Buchenwald, adjunct prosecutor at Nuremberg. Describes various war crimes that took place. Speaks in French, written translation. (p. 117 "Liberation of Camps") 17:21:33 (Israel), prosecuted Eichmann. Talks of plan of final solution and the background of those who implemented it; who were the Nazis? Intellectual, educated men were Nazis. Eichmann trial, ideology and philosophy. Emanuel Kant. (p. 118 "Liberation of Camps") 17:38:17 Adrian Fisher (US), technical advisor to the American judges. Explains what Nuremberg actually did and what its limitations were. Nuremberg trials explained the true extent of the atrocities, established that the Holocaust happened and that there wasn't much opposition to it within Germany. The trial was based on occupation powers. (p. 121 "Liberation of Camps")
Chaplains panel
Film
Chaplains panel, chairman Franklin Littell explains procedure to make living record of eyewitnesses, to speak of lessons of Holocaust. First experience he had finding out what church was and was not doing. Why in Christendom was it possible for a heathen system to carry away tens of millions of the baptized? 15:09:44 Talks of journalists, educators, churchmen being sent to camps after liberation. Talks of facts being denied and repressed. 15:11:12 Describes panel: Father Doyle - liberator of Mauthausen, member of U.S. delegation; Rabbi Nadich - Army Chaplain and Eisenhower's advisor on DPs; Rabbi Schacter - first Jewish chaplain to enter Buchenwald; Reverend Wood - Army chaplain, liberator, and member of U.S. delegation; Father Pawlikowski - who will pool ideas. 15:13:50 Littell introduces Rabbi Judah Nadich. He explains were and what he did. Advisor to Eisenhower. 15:15:03 Explains how got position - war correspondents visiting DP camps were struck that not enough was being done for Jewish survivors, many didn't want to return to their native countries because they often cooperated with the Nazis. So, Truman appointed a commission and Eisenhower assigned Nadich to move around camps to make recommendations as to how to improve conditions. 15:18:09 Visited Dachau first, describes dog kennels for the famished guard dogs; prisoners were tossed in and ripped apart. 15:19:55 Gas chambers, scratches on inside of door. 15:21:20 Crematorium with sacks labeled fertilizer - inside were human ashes. Describes putting arm inside sack so he would never forget what he saw. 15:23:10 Applause (p. 96 "Liberation of the Camps") 15:23:29 Reverend George Wood describes his liberation at Woebbelin, the service and burial of inmates found dead (p. 98 "Liberation of the Camps") 15:39:11 Rabbi Herschel Schacter. Just as charismatic as his earlier speech. Tells the biblical story of Cain and Abel; highlights we should not blame God for the Holocaust but instead man. (p. 101 "Liberation of the Camps") 15:49:53 Father Edward P. Doyle describes liberation of Nordhausen. Talks on Apostle Matthew, 10 commandments, reads his adaptation of "In Flanders Fields." (p. 102 "Liberation of the Camps") 16:00:00 Questions from the audience. (p. 106 "Liberation of the Camps") 16:18:40 Father John Pawlikowski talks of responsibility on next generation to remember Holocaust, bureaucratization of society and the beginning of new era with Auschwitz. The role of Christianity, God, and man in the Holocaust. (p. 104 "Liberation of the Camps")
Military panel
Film
Military panel with Chairman Julian Kulas. 00:11:54 Fred Crawford, US soldier. Says that the Holocaust was why the war was fought; not prepared for what they saw but realized the importance of fighting when saw Dachau. (p. 70 "Liberation of the Camps") 00:18:46 Dan Dagan in Jewish Brigade in British Army. Speaks of forming the Jewish fighting Brigade. Also of the illegal maneuvering of Jewish DPs across borders and back to Palestine with the help of the Allies. (p. 71 "Liberation of the Camps") 00:28:28 Franciszek Skibinski, Polish soldier, speaks of the Poles liberating Germany (p. 73 "Liberation of the Camps" - transcript varies slightly from what he says) 00:40:40 Pavel Danilovich Gudz, Russian General, speaks in Russian. Talks on the role Russia took in the war, and the importance of peace for the future. (p. 74 "Liberation of the Camps") 00:52:52 Lewis Weinstein, he accompanied Gen. Eisenhower to liberated camps (cuts in middle of testimony) (p. 75 "Liberation of the Camps") David Marwell appears in BG.
Military and Resistance panels
Film
Continuation of Military panel with James Collins, US Lieutenant Colonel, speaking. 00:58:13 Describes approaching Nordhausen, shortly after liberation. Had entire battalion go through the camp, young farm boys from N. Dakota. (p. 77 "Liberation of Camps") 01:01:07 to 01:16:10 Questions. Resistance panel begins with Chairman Frank Lautenberg. 01:17:50 Louis de Jong, historian. Talks on Dutch resistance. (p. 126 "Liberation of Camps") 01:35:36 Renee Aubry, speaks in French, Chief of Cabinet in Ministry of Veterans; widow of resistance fighter. Talks on resistance from France and within the camps. (p. 128 "Liberation of Camps") 01:46:07 Frode Jakobsen, resistance fighter from Denmark. Talks about resistance in Denmark, political and moral freedom. Tape cuts out half way through. (p. 129 "Liberation of Camps")
War Correspondents panel
Film
War Correspondents panel continues from Film ID 2642 with Svenn Seehusen. Neighbors ask Jews to stay with them and offer help and helped Jews escape during the Danish action in 1943. Resistance organized transport along Danish coast, fishermen helped, no one said no. Praises Sweden for their acceptance of 7,000 Jews. Support action to tell the world about the Holocaust. Applause. Chairman introduces Mr. Friendly. Starts to talk of Murrow, Denmark, Elie Wiesel. Speaks on how he ended up at Mauthausen. Holds up book of U.S. constitution. Events like Buchenwald will be remembered by history, Murrow recorded the first draft of history. Quotes Wiesel. "We cannot let this be forgotten because the consequence of forgetting is that we could cause it to happen again." Applause. Chairmen talks of sharing a unique occasion. Applause. Gap. Afternoon panel on Historians. Chairman Raul Hilberg. Victims, liberators have different view than future generations; they saw, felt, smelt it. A historian speaks of camps. Historians have to understand what produced horrors, methods of perpetrators. Talks of legality of actions in Reich and its organization, i.e. charging for tickets to camp. Historians have to understand all of this. Introduces speaker, Dr. Yorgen Haestrup of Denmark. Gives figures of Jews, talks of assimilation in Denmark and the Nazi takeover. In 1940-43, Danish government wouldn't tolerate anti-Semitic action; but in 1943, government was forced to resign. October 1+2, when Action against Jews was to take place, but they were warned. Only 284 out to 8000 were apprehended. Jews went to Sweden. Danes even forced inspection of camps (Theresienstadt). 99% of Danish Jews survived. All stand in honor of Denmark. Hilberg introduces Dr. Greenhouse from Canada, WWII historian. No camps on Canadian soil and liberation action was limited. "The historian has to become the moral guardian of his people." All historians have failed in one way as there are still Holocaust deniers. Historian's role as explainers. He says historians have failed, because there is no explanation as to how or why these things came about, only facts. They fail to consider how to ensure the Holocaust doesn't happen again. How German people came to live with the camps, compartmentalizing reason. Historian's duty is to restore men to a whole personality. He feels historians have failed. End, Hilberg thanks him, agrees with Greenhouse. Hilberg introduces French Gen. Henri Raguet de Brancion de Liman. Deported to Flossenburg. Speaks in French. Hilberg briefly talks about the General's speech. Introduces Gen. Yitzhak Arad of Israel. He was a partisan in occupied Soviet territory. Talks about eradication attempts by the Germans, of camp records. Talks about liberation, liberators arriving too late, no survivors or traces of atrocities. Since summer 1942, SS aimed to hide proof of atrocities, talks about why. Himmler decided that corpses in mass graves should be destroyed, to burn the bodies and bury the ashes. Describes process of burning/hiding bodies. Elie Wiesel. Few bodies found in some camps, but liberators, survivors, witnesses knew what had happened. Hilberg introduces Prof. Yehuda Bauer, Israeli historian. Talks about death marches, explains process. Discusses figures of people put in camps at the end of the war, figures of people on death marches and number who died. In 3.5 months of death marches at the end of the camp's existence, more died than in the rest of the time camps existed. What was SS intention? Discusses why left people in Auschwitz and why some weren't put to work. He gives two reasons: 1) Nazis saw people as enemies of Reich - must never fall into hands of enemy, must never be liberated; 2) another way of killing people. Talks about non-SS people killing prisoners. Tells story of a Czech gardener at Czech railway station watching thousands of people being starved on a train (many were Czech). He had to beg the station commander for permission to give them a drink with his hose. What did the Allies know, what did they do? He analyzed Western press and found only one article about the death marches. All records covered only POWs who were on the same march as concentration camp victims. Only one attempt to save people from the death marches. Thinks we're only at the beginning of this research.
Medical Personnel panel
Film
Hadassah Rosensaft chairs the Medical panel, introduces topic of doctors and medics in the camp system and in the liberation process. 13:19:30 CU, Hadassah Rosensaft in coral, with laryngitis. She is a survivor of Bergen-Belsen. 13:21:49 Reads apology from British army doctor for not being there. Introduces first speaker Prof. Leo Eitinger, psychiatrist, member of Norwegian delegation, and Auschwitz survivor. 13:22:58 Discusses medical doctors in camps. Camera pans around audience. 13:25:22 He worked as a prison doctor in the infirmary of a sub-camp in Auschwitz. Speaks of the importance of doctors and gives example of patient stories. 13:30:07 Talks of cruelty of guards systems of values of prisoners, especially doctors. Doctors cared about other prisoners more than themselves. 13:33:30 Prisoners saying they were seriously ill, thinking they would get an easier ride, not realizing they were going straight to the gas chambers. 13:35:37 Denying death could be life saving. (p. 56 "Liberation of Camps") 13:36:58 Chairwoman introduces next speaker: Mrs. Marie Ellifritz, a nurse in the U.S. Army. Went to Mauthausen 3 days after liberation, stayed 8 weeks. 13:37:27 Discusses her experience, talks of emotions involved on the job, trauma. 13:39:05 Had a tremendous job ahead, to sort dead from living, giving blankets, water, food, shelter, pajamas, etc. 13:40:15 Nurses got physically sick from dysentery, and sickness of the heart form what they saw. 13:41:02 "Survival was always name of the game." First time saw naked men, couldn't control reaction, embarrassed, prisoners however were incapable of reacting. 13:42:00 Convincing prisoners they were really free. Describes the liberation process - rumors of liberation, gates open, how long does it take for reality to become meaningful to each of you? Some too close to death to be able to accept enormity of final freedom. 13:43:29 Both sides struggling to take in what's happening - inmates and liberators. Both hearing rumors. 13:44:38 Wanting to tell everyone about the horrors, but people thought she was losing her mind telling such stories. Repression came quickly. She blows her nose. 13:46:02 In 1977, she returned to Mauthausen. Describes going back, found peace with herself. 13:46:46 Discovering love there, starts crying. Wants to know about lives of survivors - medical effects, psychological, jobs, how long live, post-traumatic effect. 13:48:36 Prays for love, peace, crying. Applause. (p. 58 "Liberation of Camps") 13:49:15 Chairwoman introduces Dr. Douglas Kelling, American psychiatrist, Dachau liberator. 13:49:42 He describes Dachau - conditions, prisoners, confusion in camp, bodies, showers. CU, H. Rosensaft looking distressed. 13:52:35 Describes smell of bodies, furnaces, shooting of inmates. Medical problems - typhus, carried by lice. 270 patients died each day from typhus. Speaks of different causes of death. 13:54:42 Prisoners in charge when he entered camp. Prisoners not believing what was happening. 13:55:37 Still had self-esteem and pride. Inmates foremost thought was finding their friends and family, but their hometowns were probably destroyed, and relatives in camps or killed. This led to depression. Physically weak, but mentally strong to endure what they went through. 13:57:20 Prisoners were naturally angry at their captors. 13:58:07 Thought of getting out of camp probably suppressed by some abnormal mental states and thoughts of immediate time being. 13:58:54 Applause. (p. 61 "Liberation of Camps") 13:59:02 Chairwoman introduces Dr. George Tievsky, from Washington D.C., served in 66th field hospital, liberated Dachau - there for 6 weeks. 13:59:27 Gives his background prior to going to Dachau - seen drug addiction and malnutrition. Describes field hospitals and their use prior to liberation. 14:01:28 Went to sub-camp of Dachau. Describes setup of field hospital. Not enough medical personnel. Wrote letters to his now wife. 14:03:15 Reads letter (Jan. 4, 1945) describing situation and conditions in Dachau. Typhus - goes into great detail. 14:07:13 Starvation and other medical issues he dealt with. Medical terminology and graphic details of what they suffered. 14:09:39 Primary problem was feeding patients and administrating vitamins. 14:09:51 When Army realized patients weren't GIs they refused to provide food and medicine. Tievsky describes what he had to feed them and the effects. 14:10:53 "For 6 years we waited for the Americans to come, are we to die of hunger now?" He described the guilt, anger, and helplessness of not being able to help more. 14:11:25 By the time he left there was adequate food but it was difficult to get medicines. 14:11:39 Refers back in time to some of his female patients. 14:14:07 Describes meeting Dr. Joseph Heller, the chief doctor in Jewish section of camp. Out of 164 doctors in compound, there were only 59 survivors one year later. Heller had no medicine, chimney sweep smuggled it in for him. Heller walked 10 miles at night to do an operation on patient. Heller doing rounds with Tievsky. 14:16:54 Heller sees himself in mirror for the first time in years. 14:17:24 Describes saying farewell to patients at Dachau, before he went to Japan: "Time will pass and it will be over soon." One of they said "Yes that is what she told me when we ruled the freight cars, for days and that is what she said all the months in the concentration camp." "Jews will always live" added the first. 14:18:16 Applause. (p. 62 "Liberation of Camps") 14:18:31 H. Rosensaft opens up floor for questions to the panel. 3 people stand forward with their experiences in camp. 14:26:34 Chairwoman interrupts saying this time is for questions. 14:27 Were medical personnel briefed? No. 14:28:14 Were there psychiatric problems of liberators? Physical illness overran mental issues at the time of liberation. 14:29:19 Chairwoman thanks everyone, talks of self-sacrifice and human devotion to the prison doctors had. People break, mix, chat.
Chaplains panel
Film
Chaplains panel, chairman Franklin Littell explains procedure to make living record of eyewitnesses, to speak of lessons of Holocaust. First experience he had finding out what church was and was not doing. Why in Christendom was it possible for a heathen system to carry away tens of millions of the baptized? 15:09:44 Talks of journalists, educators, churchmen being sent to camps after liberation. Talks of facts being denied and repressed. 15:11:12 Describes panel: Father Doyle - liberator of Mauthausen, member of U.S. delegation; Rabbi Nadich - Army Chaplain and Eisenhower's advisor on DPs; Rabbi Schacter - first Jewish chaplain to enter Buchenwald; Reverend Wood - Army chaplain, liberator, and member of U.S. delegation; Father Pawlikowski - who will pool ideas. 15:13:50 Littell introduces Rabbi Judah Nadich. He explains were and what he did. Advisor to Eisenhower. 15:15:03 Explains how got position - war correspondents visiting DP camps were struck that not enough was being done for Jewish survivors, many didn't want to return to their native countries because they often cooperated with the Nazis. So, Truman appointed a commission and Eisenhower assigned Nadich to move around camps to make recommendations as to how to improve conditions. 15:18:09 Visited Dachau first, describes dog kennels for the famished guard dogs; prisoners were tossed in and ripped apart. 15:19:55 Gas chambers, scratches on inside of door. 15:21:20 Crematorium with sacks labeled fertilizer - inside were human ashes. Describes putting arm inside sack so he would never forget what he saw. 15:23:10 Applause (p. 96 "Liberation of the Camps") 15:23:29 Reverend George Wood describes his liberation at Woebbelin, the service and burial of inmates found dead (p. 98 "Liberation of the Camps") 15:39:11 Rabbi Herschel Schacter. Just as charismatic as his earlier speech. Tells the biblical story of Cain and Abel; highlights we should not blame God for the Holocaust but instead man. (p. 101 "Liberation of the Camps") 15:49:53 Father Edward P. Doyle describes liberation of Nordhausen. Talks on Apostle Matthew, 10 commandments, reads his adaptation of "In Flanders Fields." (p. 102 "Liberation of the Camps") 16:00:00 Questions from the audience. (p. 106 "Liberation of the Camps") 16:18:40 Father John Pawlikowski talks of responsibility on next generation to remember Holocaust, bureaucratization of society and the beginning of new era with Auschwitz. The role of Christianity, God, and man in the Holocaust. (p. 104 "Liberation of the Camps")
Eyewitnesses and War Correspondents at Plenary
Film
Continuation of Plenary Session from Film ID 2640 with Alan Rose, then cuts off. 10:46:14 Eyewitness testimony. Rabbi Herschel Schacter, Jewish Army Chaplain in 8th Corps of 3rd Army. Can't fathom enormity of tragedy. 10:47:54 April 11, 1945 learned tanks entered Buchenwald and went there. Dungeon on face of earth. 10:49:14 Photos (crematorium) passed around, delegates listening. Describes what he saw. Never forget scene, no words to describe it. Still smoke from ovens, furnaces were hot, hundreds of dead bodies scattered. He felt inner rage. 10:51:04 Asks lieutenant are there any Jews left in camp? Taken to "little camp." 10:51:26 Delegates listening, crying, wiping eyes. He recalls hundreds of emaciated men, haunted eyes. 10:52:39 He shouted in Yiddish "you are free," they asked "is it over?" He ran through the barracks shouting, Jews followed him. 10:53:37 They asked him "Does the world know what happened to us?" Crying delegates. 10:55:06 20,000 inmates estimated in camp, most political prisoners. 10:57:28 People left to find friends, family. He organized religious ceremonies, handed out prayer books (gave one to Elie Wiesel). 10:59:47 Now here to remember, repeat, keep alive the story. Why were we spared? Agitates his mind and heart, spared for one reason: to deny Hitler victory. "I will not die, I will live." 11:01:20 We must tell the story. 11:01:30 Applause. (p. 35 "Liberation of Camps") 11:02:11 Ephraim Wekselfish, International Chairman of Disabled Jewish Veterans. One of first men to attach victory flag on Berlin Reichstag. Speaks Yiddish and Hebrew with translator, Dr. Gideon Hausner (Eichmann prosecutor). 11:04:05 Fische, in Soviet Army, fought at Stalingrad, joined 1st Division. Fische speaks Yiddish. 11:06:53 Translated - Fische brings greetings from war veterans. 11:08:46 Camera on Elie Wiesel. 11:09:00 Translated - Fische appeals for eternal peace, in Israel, for fighters killed. 11:09:46 Fische holds up book and reads. 11:11:30 Book lists Jewish names in Red Army. 11:12:30 Crying delegates in audience. Talks about Majdenek. 11:14:00 Describes what he saw there "last ounce of energy was squeezed out of them." 11:14:53 Fische finishes. Applause. 11:15:50 Won't continue reading. (p. 38 "Liberation of Camps") 11:16:42 Chairman thanks for testifying. "Do you have to live in the past? No, the past lives in us." 11:19:24 War Correspondents panel. Chairman speaks about the panelists and introduces Fred W. Friendly, war correspondent, witnessed liberation of Mauthausen. After war, executive of CBS News, president of CBS, then Edward R. Murrow Professor of Journalism. Member of US delegation. 11:21:40 Friendly decided not to speak, going to play tape of Murrow's report from Buchenwald in 1945. Best piece of journalism ever done, no pictures but mind's eye is more effective than any TV camera. 11:26:47 How Murrow would introduce the tape: "This is Buchenwald, April eleventh, nineteen hundred and forty-five." 11:27:07 Tape starts (poor sound quality at first). Describes Buchenwald, smiling with their eyes, enters barracks, men want to pick him up but too weak....Silence. (p. 42 "Liberation of Camps") 11:37:53 Boyd Lewis, war correspondent, European news manager for United Press. Responsibility was to assign correspondents to cover liberation. 11:38:37 Silence after Murrow's tape is the greatest applause. 11:40:06 Speaks on credibility. People doubted, after printing reports in papers on camps, that correspondents were giving the true picture. Thought it was overdone, over-emotional. 11:41:30 Communications VIP delegation from USA went to Paris to "put the picture in perspective." Went to camps, by end of week he "looked upon men who had gazed into the jaws of hell." Now they believed. Applause. (p. 45 "Liberation of Camps") 11:43:15 Chairman introduces Col. Curtis Mitchell, media coordinator in war. Now freelance writer, editor, motion picture director. 11:44:17 Heard things that cannot be put into words. 11:46:00 Talks of Murrow and start of liberation. 11:49:11 Talks of how news gets out. Compares what he saw to what has been said today by Mitchell re: Belsen. 11:52:12 Describes making SS guards carry bodies into trucks. Mass graves. He took photo with himself there to help establish credibility. 11:55:27 Describes people: degraded, dehumanized. Men building fires in rooms, using corner of room as toilet (once freed). 11:57:11 People paid the price of imprisonment with their reason, process of thought. No facilities for people until setup DP camps. Describes them. (p. 46 "Liberation of Camps")
Plenary Session and Eyewitness panel
Film
10:44:21 Continuation of Plenary Session from Film ID 2641 with Alan Rose. The mark left on the liberators and survivors, as well as mankind, as a result of the Holocaust. 10:46:14 Eyewitness testimony. Rabbi Herschel Schacter, Jewish Army Chaplain in 8th Corps of 3rd Army. Can't fathom enormity of tragedy. 10:47:54 April 11, 1945 learned tanks entered Buchenwald and went there. Dungeon on face of earth. 10:49:14 Photos (crematorium) passed around, delegates listening. Describes what he saw. Never forget scene, no words to describe it. Still smoke from ovens, furnaces were hot, hundreds of dead bodies scattered. He felt inner rage. 10:51:04 Asks lieutenant are there any Jews left in camp? Taken to "little camp." 10:51:26 Delegates listening, crying, wiping eyes. He recalls hundreds of emaciated men, haunted eyes. 10:52:39 He shouted in Yiddish "you are free," they asked "is it over?" He ran through the barracks shouting, Jews followed him. 10:53:37 They asked him "Does the world know what happened to us?" Crying delegates. 10:55:06 20,000 inmates estimated in camp, most political prisoners. 10:57:28 People left to find friends, family. He organized religious ceremonies, handed out prayer books (gave one to Elie Wiesel). 10:59:47 Now here to remember, repeat, keep alive the story. Why were we spared? Agitates his mind and heart, spared for one reason: to deny Hitler victory. "I will not die, I will live." 11:01:20 We must tell the story. 11:01:30 Applause. (p. 35 "Liberation of Camps") 11:02:11 Ephraim Wekselfish, International Chairman of Disabled Jewish Veterans. One of first men to attach victory flag on Berlin Reichstag. Speaks Yiddish and Hebrew with translator, Dr. Gideon Hausner (Eichmann prosecutor). 11:04:05 Fische, in Soviet Army, fought at Stalingrad, joined 1st Division. Fische speaks Yiddish. 11:06:53 Translated - Fische brings greetings from war veterans. 11:08:46 Camera on Elie Wiesel. 11:09:00 Translated - Fische appeals for eternal peace, in Israel, for fighters killed. 11:09:46 Fische holds up book and reads. 11:11:30 Book lists Jewish names in Red Army. 11:12:30 Crying delegates in audience. Talks about Majdenek. 11:14:00 Describes what he saw there "last ounce of energy was squeezed out of them." 11:14:53 Fische finishes. Applause. 11:15:50 Won't continue reading. (p. 38 "Liberation of Camps") 11:16:42 Chairman thanks for testifying. "Do you have to live in the past? No, the past lives in us." 11:17:50 Chairman announces lunch break. [Screen goes to black at 11:18:48 to 11:20:02.] TC jumps to 00:20:02, to Fred W. Friendly, a war correspondent who witnessed the liberation of Mauthausen, telling the audience he decided not to speak. Instead he will play president of CBS Edward R. Murrow's report from Buchenwald in 1945. [TC jumps to 13:25:04]. Mid-speech with poor sound quality at first. Describes Buchenwald, smiling with their eyes, enters barracks, men want to pick him up but too weak. Describes his visits to the barracks, kitchen and courtyard stacked with dead bodies. 13:35:40 Boyd Lewis, war correspondent, European news manager for United Press. Responsibility was to assign correspondents to cover liberation. Silence after Murrow's tape is the greatest applause. Speaks on credibility. People doubted, after printing reports in papers on camps, that correspondents were giving the true picture. Thought it was overdone, over-emotional. Communications VIP delegation from USA went to Paris to "put the picture in perspective." Went to camps, by end of week he "looked upon men who had gazed into the jaws of hell." Now they believed. Applause. (p. 45 "Liberation of Camps") 13:41:04 Chairman introduces Col. Curtis Mitchell, media coordinator in war. Now freelance writer, editor, motion picture director. Heard things that cannot be put into words. Talks of Murrow and start of liberation. Talks of how news gets out. Compares what he saw to what has been said today by Mitchell re: Belsen. Describes making SS guards carry bodies into trucks. Mass graves. He took photo with himself there to help establish credibility. Describes people: degraded, dehumanized. Men building fires in rooms, using corner of room as toilet (once freed). People paid the price of imprisonment with their reason, process of thought. No facilities for people until setup DP camps. Describes them. (p. 46 "Liberation of Camps") 13:57:31 Svenn Seehusen, Danish journalist and member of the Resistance Press delivers an unprepared speech. Seehusen discusses how Denmark accepted German occupation, and the importance of the underground paper. Tape cuts off mid-speech. 14:02:58.
War Correspondents and Historians panel
Film
War Correspondents panel continues from Film ID 2642 with Svenn Seehusen. Neighbors ask Jews to stay with them and offer help and helped Jews escape during the Danish action in 1943. 14:08:25 Resistance organized transport along Danish coast, fishermen helped, no one said no. 14:09:56 Praises Sweden for their acceptance of 7,000 Jews. Support action to tell the world about the Holocaust. 14:13:02 Applause. Chairman introduces Mr. Friendly again. 14:14:02 Starts to talk of Murrow, Denmark, Elie Wiesel. Speaks on how he ended up at Mauthausen. 14:17:54 Holds up book of U.S. constitution. Events like Buchenwald will be remembered by history, Murrow recorded the first draft of history. 14:19:27 Quotes Wiesel. 14:20:59 "We cannot let this be forgotten because the consequence of forgetting is that we could cause it to happen again." 14:21:58 Applause. Chairmen talks of sharing a unique occasion. Applause. 14:24:04 to 14:27:00 Gap. 14:27:00 Afternoon panel on Historians. Chairman Raul Hilberg. Victims, liberators have different view than future generations; they saw, felt, smelt it. A historian speaks of camps. 14:29:59 Historians have to understand what produced horrors, methods of perpetrators. Talks of legality of actions in Reich and its organization, i.e. charging for tickets to camp. Historians have to understand all of this. 14:33:16 Introduces speaker, Dr. Yorgen Haestrup of Denmark. 14:34:47 Gives figures of Jews, talks of assimilation in Denmark and the Nazi takeover. 14:37:30 In 1940-43, Danish government wouldn't tolerate anti-Semitic action; but in 1943, government was forced to resign. 14:38:26 October 1+2, when Action against Jews was to take place, but they were warned. Only 284 out to 8000 were apprehended. Jews went to Sweden. 14:40:50 Danes even forced inspection of camps (Theresienstadt). 14:42:47 99% of Danish Jews survived. 14:43:08 All stand in honor of Denmark. Hilberg introduces Dr. Greenhouse from Canada, WWII historian. 14:44:06 No camps on Canadian soil and liberation action was limited. 14:47:00 "The historian has to become the moral guardian of his people." All historians have failed in one way as there are still Holocaust deniers. 14:47:52 Historian's role as explainers. He says historians have failed, because there is no explanation as to how or why these things came about, only facts. They fail to consider how to ensure the Holocaust doesn't happen again. 14:48:58 How German people came to live with the camps, compartmentalizing reason. Historian's duty is to restore men to a whole personality. He feels historians have failed. 14:51:05 End, Hilberg thanks him, agrees with Greenhouse. 14:51:43 Hilberg introduces French Gen. Henri Raguet de Brancion de Liman. Deported to Flossenburg. Speaks in French. 14:59:24 Hilberg briefly talks about the General's speech. Introduces Gen. Yitzhak Arad of Israel. He was a partisan in occupied Soviet territory. Talks about eradication attempts by the Germans, of camp records. 15:01:20 Talks about liberation, liberators arriving too late, no survivors or traces of atrocities. Since summer 1942, SS aimed to hide proof of atrocities, talks about why. 15:04:27 Himmler decided that corpses in mass graves should be destroyed, to burn the bodies and bury the ashes. Describes process of burning/hiding bodies. 15:10:40 Elie Wiesel. 15:13:57 Few bodies found in some camps, but liberators, survivors, witnesses knew what had happened. 15:14:54 Hilberg introduces Prof. Yehuda Bauer, Israeli historian. 15:17:22 Talks about death marches, explains process. 15:20:20 Discusses figures of people put in camps at the end of the war, figures of people on death marches and number who died. 15:23:30 In 3.5 months of death marches at the end of the camp's existence, more died than in the rest of the time camps existed. What was SS intention? Discusses why left people in Auschwitz and why some weren't put to work. 15:25:28 He gives two reasons: 1) Nazis saw people as enemies of Reich - must never fall into hands of enemy, must never be liberated; 2) another way of killing people. 15:28:28 Talks about non-SS people killing prisoners. Tells story of a Czech gardener at Czech railway station watching thousands of people being starved on a train (many were Czech). He had to beg the station commander for permission to give them a drink with his hose. 15:32:14 What did the Allies know, what did they do? He analyzed Western press and found only one article about the death marches. All records covered only POWs who were on the same march as concentration camp victims. 15:35:09 Only one attempt to save people from the death marches. 15:37:19 Thinks we're only at the beginning of this research.
Several liberators tell their stories during Plenary Session
Film
Miles Lerman at podium, introduces individuals one by one and calls them to the dais. Session is chaired by Sigmund Strochlitz, survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Strochlitz speaks. Cutaways to some delegates listening. Speaks of liberation from viewpoint of survivors, waiting, life ebbing away. Shared dismay at current denial of the Holocaust and the killing of six million Jews, millions of others. The victims and the victors are now partners...to preserve the truth. 9:22:22 Strochlitz introduces first witness, Dr. Leon Bass, Buchenwald liberator. 9:22:58 Bass speaks. Joined the army aged 18, put in a segregated unit, because he was Black. Training in the South. April 1945 in Weimar, unprepared for what he found at Buchenwald. He was 19 years old. Not here to dwell on the horrors. But we must tell what happened. We cannot ignore...must use the media...focus attention across the world. But if we want to avoid another Holocaust, then we have a personal responsibility to do something about it.... Quotes James Baldwin, the fire next time. It isn't enough to give money ...if you laugh at ethnic jokes, or turn away from prejudice in order to get ahead. Impassioned plea for involvement and confrontation. If we remain silent, if we pass by on the other side, we are sowing the seeds for another Holocaust. 9:30:40 "Is the price too high?" If you dare to be a Daniel and go into the lion's den... dare to live up to the 10 Commandments or the Koran, you are vulnerable. Applause. 9:31:56 Capt. George Blackburn, Royal Canadian Artillery...liberator of Westerbork in the Netherlands. 9:32:35. Denies being a liberator. No one person, unit, army...could liberate a concentration camp. Sense of inferiority in the presence of those who survived the camps. Westerbork was a collection center for Jews of the Netherlands, not a camp. ... Describes people coming out of the huts... like the whimpering of an ill or frightened animal... arms attempting to touch us, the vehicle, preoccupied with knowing whether the soldiers were real... wouldn't move out of the way. He pulled his pistol to quiet them down, and explained that they had to continue on after the Germans. 'That's all I saw.' Applause 9:39:27 Dr. Michal Chilczuk participated in liberation of Sachsenhausen (Oranienburg), member of the Polish delegation. Emotion on the surface, speaking to those who lived through cataclysm. I come from the country where the Nazis established over 2000 different camps... (names varieties of camps). Some cutaways. Speaks of Polish Army. Speaks of Sachsenhausen. 9:47:44 Cutaway Miles Lerman listening at dais. 9:48:25 Describes the look of those liberated. Eyes.... 9:49:26 Elie Wiesel listening with rapt attention at dais. And again at 9:50:04. Speaks of medical services. 'Bad'...'good'.... Some of you have now filled up the bad with good..... 9:51:30 Separate piles of clothing of men, of women, of children, German orderliness. After Oranienburg and Sachsenberg tragedy, we went west, to the Elbe...met Americans. 9:53:53 Cutaway to shoulder of a uniform and badge 'Jewish Brigade'. Concludes. 9:55:25 Applause, embraced by Elie Wiesel, handshakes with Strochlitz, Miles Lerman. Appreciation on their faces for his passion and eloquence. 9:55:55 Strochlitz introduces next witness, member of the French delegation. Guy Fassina, in charge of repatriation of prisoners from camps after the war. Speaks in French. 10:01:30 speaks of racism, antisemitism....Finishes in English. 10:04:50 Strochlitz introduces Member of the Soviet Delegation: Major General Alexei Kirillovich Gorlinsky, liberator of Theresienstadt. Gorlinsky speaks in Russian. Yaffa Eliach seen in audience. 10:13:57 Strochlitz introduces Colonel Don Hiram, one of the first Israelis to enter Bergen-Belsen, active in transport of Jewish DPs to Mediterranean area, member of the Jewish Brigade. 10:14:40. Colonel Hiram speaks in English. 10:19:24 Strochlitz introduces Dr. Doughlas G. Kelling, participated in the liberation of Dachau, medical officer, member of the American delegation. 10:20:10 Mentions 45 Infantry Division and 42nd Infantry Division. He was a psychiatrist with the 45th Inf. Div. Includes facts, description of physical plant. Clinical description of condition of prisoners. 10:30:02 Introduction of Lt. General William Quinn, participated in liberation of Dachau, medical officer, member of the American delegation. He was intelligence officer for 7th Army during planning of invasion of southern France. Had reports of camps and of atrocities, but nothing in the reports equaled what he saw. Bavaria was eventually a target and goal for liberation. Spontaneous speaker, seemingly without a text. 10:34:02 Cutaway to Romana Primus. When he saw Dachau, he wanted it documented (OSS, CIC, other units brought in). 10:36:36 Introduction of next speaker, Allan Rose, of Canadian Jewish Congress, participated in liberation of Bergen-Belsen. 10:37:10 An unprepared speech. 20 years of age, in British Army, last few days of the war. Breaks off as tape ends.
Several liberators tell their stories during Plenary Session
Film
Miles Lerman at podium, introduces individuals one by one and calls them to the dais. Session is chaired by Sigmund Strochlitz, survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Strochlitz speaks. Cutaways to some delegates listening. Speaks of liberation from viewpoint of survivors, waiting, life ebbing away. Shared dismay at current denial of the Holocaust and the killing of six million Jews, millions of others. The victims and the victors are now partners...to preserve the truth. 9:22:22 Strochlitz introduces first witness, Dr. Leon Bass, Buchenwald liberator. 9:22:58 Bass speaks. Joined the army aged 18, put in a segregated unit, because he was Black. Training in the South. April 1945 in Weimar, unprepared for what he found at Buchenwald. He was 19 years old. Not here to dwell on the horrors. But we must tell what happened. We cannot ignore...must use the media...focus attention across the world. But if we want to avoid another Holocaust, then we have a personal responsibility to do something about it.... Quotes James Baldwin, the fire next time. It isn't enough to give money ...if you laugh at ethnic jokes, or turn away from prejudice in order to get ahead. Impassioned plea for involvement and confrontation. If we remain silent, if we pass by on the other side, we are sowing the seeds for another Holocaust. 9:30:40 "Is the price too high?" If you dare to be a Daniel and go into the lion's den... dare to live up to the 10 Commandments or the Koran, you are vulnerable. Applause. 9:31:56 Capt. George Blackburn, Royal Canadian Artillery...liberator of Westerbork in the Netherlands. 9:32:35. Denies being a liberator. No one person, unit, army...could liberate a concentration camp. Sense of inferiority in the presence of those who survived the camps. Westerbork was a collection center for Jews of the Netherlands, not a camp. ... Describes people coming out of the huts... like the whimpering of an ill or frightened animal... arms attempting to touch us, the vehicle, preoccupied with knowing whether the soldiers were real... wouldn't move out of the way. He pulled his pistol to quiet them down, and explained that they had to continue on after the Germans. 'That's all I saw.' Applause 9:39:27 Dr. Michal Chilczuk participated in liberation of Sachsenhausen (Oranienburg), member of the Polish delegation. Emotion on the surface, speaking to those who lived through cataclysm. I come from the country where the Nazis established over 2000 different camps... (names varieties of camps). Some cutaways. Speaks of Polish Army. Speaks of Sachsenhausen. 9:47:44 Cutaway Miles Lerman listening at dais. 9:48:25 Describes the look of those liberated. Eyes.... 9:49:26 Elie Wiesel listening with rapt attention at dais. And again at 9:50:04. Speaks of medical services. 'Bad'...'good'.... Some of you have now filled up the bad with good..... 9:51:30 Separate piles of clothing of men, of women, of children, German orderliness. After Oranienburg and Sachsenberg tragedy, we went west, to the Elbe...met Americans. 9:53:53 Cutaway to shoulder of a uniform and badge 'Jewish Brigade'. Concludes. 9:55:25 Applause, embraced by Elie Wiesel, handshakes with Strochlitz, Miles Lerman. Appreciation on their faces for his passion and eloquence. 9:55:55 Strochlitz introduces next witness, member of the French delegation. Guy Fassina, in charge of repatriation of prisoners from camps after the war. Speaks in French. 10:01:30 speaks of racism, antisemitism....Finishes in English. 10:04:50 Strochlitz introduces Member of the Soviet Delegation: Major General Alexei Kirillovich Gorlinsky, liberator of Theresienstadt. Gorlinsky speaks in Russian. Yaffa Eliach seen in audience. 10:13:57 Strochlitz introduces Colonel Don Hiram, one of the first Israelis to enter Bergen-Belsen, active in transport of Jewish DPs to Mediterranean area, member of the Jewish Brigade. 10:14:40. Colonel Hiram speaks in English. 10:19:24 Strochlitz introduces Dr. Doughlas G. Kelling, participated in the liberation of Dachau, medical officer, member of the American delegation. 10:20:10 Mentions 45 Infantry Division and 42nd Infantry Division. He was a psychiatrist with the 45th Inf. Div. Includes facts, description of physical plant. Clinical description of condition of prisoners. 10:30:02 Introduction of Lt. General William Quinn, participated in liberation of Dachau, medical officer, member of the American delegation. He was intelligence officer for 7th Army during planning of invasion of southern France. Had reports of camps and of atrocities, but nothing in the reports equaled what he saw. Bavaria was eventually a target and goal for liberation. Spontaneous speaker, seemingly without a text. 10:34:02 Cutaway to Romana Primus. When he saw Dachau, he wanted it documented (OSS, CIC, other units brought in). [Tape briefly jumps from TCR 10:35:43 to 01:26:20. Tape continues until 01:26:25 and then jumps back to 10:35:49]. Tape jumps from 10:36:35 to 01:27:11. Lt. General William Quinn sits down amid applause. The Chairman introduces the next eye witness, Allan Rose of the Canadian Jewish Congress, participated in liberation of Bergen-Belsen. Tape cuts off mid-speech. 01:27:39
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a copy of a letter written by J. Milnor Roberts, April 10, 1981, in which Roberts gives his account of a small slave labor camp in the town of Thekla, Germany, near Leipzig where SS troops attempted to burn the prisoners alive.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a questionnaire and letters written by Raymond S. Woods relating to the liberation of the Lambach (i.e. Gunskirchen) concentration camp involving members of the 3325th S.I. A. M. Company. One of Woods' letters describes the starvation witnessed in the camp.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains information about the liberation of Wöbbelin concentration camp. Includes information about activities of the 8th US Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division in Europe and their participation in the liberation of the camp, the gas chambers and crematoria in the camp, and the public burial of victims from the camp in nearby in Hagenow, Germany.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a testimony in letter form written by Joel Fredrick on March 23, 1981, relating to his experiences working with displaced persons at the close of World War II. Fredrick mentions working in displaced persons camps in the area of Hof, Germany, where he was involved with clandestine operations to swap Jewish displaced persons posing as German nationals between theAmerican and Russian zones.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies, articles, and letters relating to the liberation of Flossenbürg concentration camp and activities of the 90th US Infantry Division in Germany during the last days of World War II.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains letters written by Edward C. Gustely in 1981 and 1982 concerning his liberation experiences at a labor camp near Saarbrücken, Germany, and his subsequent work as a sanitation officer with the 83rd US Infantry Division at the Bindermichl housing camp in Linz, Austria.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection : Gunskirchen
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Contains testimonies and letters relating to the liberation of Gunskirchen concentration camp, a subcamp of Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. The testimonies included information about Hungarian Jews from the Gunskirchen camp, the use of starvation as a method of torture and killing, and activities of the 71st US Infantry Division in the area of Wels, Austria.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a letter by Gale H. Reedy on Feb., 20, 1981, relating to the liberation of a labor camp near Kaiserslautern, Germany, by a detachment of the 70th United States Infantry Division.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a copy of a letter written by Harry M. Morgan on April 1, 1981, describing the discovery of 150 Jewish women by the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the 5th United States Infantry Division in an abandoned factory in Wallern (Volary), Czechoslovakia. Morgan also explains that the 150 women were the survivors of an original 5,000 women whe were led on a death march from Grünberg in Schlesien, a Gross-Rosen subcamp.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies and other materials relating to the liberation of Landsberg-Lech concentration camp and other Dachau subcamps of the Landsberg/Kaufering group. Also includesinformation about the crematoria, conditions of starvation upon liberation, mass murders by burning,and individual liberators of the camp.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Includes testimonies, letters, and other materials relating to the liberation of the Nordhausen (a.k.a. Dora-Mittelbau) concentration camp. Includes information about activities of the 44th US Evacuation Hospital and other Allied military units involved in the liberation or its aftermath, statistics of dead prisoners, and the various types of prisoners held at Nordhausen. Also included is information concerning a labor camp at Niedersachswerfen, Germany.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies and letters relating to the liberation of the three Gusen subcamps of Mauthausen. Includes information about the methods of killing used in the camps, the various types of prisoners, the medical experiments conducted on pregnant prisoners, and activities of the 131st U.S. Evacuation Hospital in the area of Linz, Austria. Also included are name lists of nurses assigned to the Gusen camps after liberation.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies, letters, and articles relating to the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp. Includes information about activities of the 11th U.S. Armored Division and the 130th U.S. Evacuation Hospital, the work of U.S. Army nurses with the survivors of the camp, and the situation of starvation and poor sanitation in the camp upon liberation. Also included is a speech given by Marie Knowles Ellifritz on June 5, 1982, to the Elizabeth Buxton Hospital Nurses Alumnae describing her experiences as a US Army nurse serving at Mauthausen after liberation.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies, letters, and other materials relating to the liberation of Ohrdruf concentration camp and North Stalag III near Ohrdruf. Included is information about activities of the 4th U.S. Armored Division and other Allied military units involved in the liberation, gas chambers and crematoria found in the camp, and last-minute killings of prisoners by German guards before liberation. Also included are copies of photographs of Ohrdruf death scenes and clean-up efforts of liberators.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains letters of testimony and articles by United States Army troops relating to the April 1945 massacre of slave laborers who were crowded into a barn near the town of Gardelegen, Germany, that was set afire, burning them all to death.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Consists of a testimony written by Bill Silverburg in May 1981. The testimony includes Silverburg's recollection of a "museum" near Münster in Westfalen, Germany, which he visited while serving with the 9th United States Army in May 1945. Silverburg states that the "museum" consisted of exhibits made from the human remains of Jews.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains the liberator testimony of Maeceille B. (Pless) Beem concerning the liberation of Langenstein, a subcamp of Buchenwald concentration camp. Beem describes her work as a nurse with the 20th Field Hospital Unit attached to the 9th United States Army and the conditions of prisoners liberated from Langenstein.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains interview transcripts recorded in October 1981 containing the liberation testimony of six liberators and liberation witnesses. The transcripts include information about several concentration camps including Kossen, Ohrdruf, Mauthausen, and Dachau concentration camps. Also includes information about liberator-prisoner relations after liberation, medical services provided for concentration camp survivors, and women and children in the camps.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a liberator testimony and questionnaire completed by George J. Karl concerning the liberation of a prison camp at Eselheide, Germany, near Bielefeld. The testimony describes the surrender of a prison camp holding approximately 9,000 soldiers and Germans to a tank company of the 2nd US Armored Division under the leadership of George Karl.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a letter written by William J. Spotten, June 4, 1981, describing liberation activities of the 14th US Armored Division in the vicinity of Moosburg, Germany. Also included is a copy of a reprint of an October 1946 article entitled "An Incident at Ampfing" by Michael B. Shimkin describing relief efforts by Public Health Team Number Two of the US Public Health Service attached to the 3rd US Army at the concentration camp near the town of Ampfing, Germany.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a letter, dated March 9, 1981, by Leonard Glasser giving his eyewitness account of a concentration camp near Freising, Germany, shortly after liberation.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a testimony in letter form written by Carl P. Keiser on March 28, 1981, concerning his liberation experiences in the area of Gars am Inn, Germany. Keiser describes the liberation of a small concentration camp in the Gars am Inn area, which he refers to as "a penal branch of a large camp at Mühldorf some 20 km to the East." (The International Tracing Service list of camps notes a subcamp of Mühldorf known as "Mittegars." Mühldorf was, in turn, a subcamp of Dachau.) In addition, Keiser describes the physical aspects of the small camp, the discovery of a mass grave at the camp, and autopsies performed on the bodies of victims by doctors of the "War Crimes Commission."
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a testimony describing atrocities witnessed by various Allied liberating units with only approximate location of the concentration camps liberated (e.g., "near Munich").
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a testimony by Kenneth E. Weaver describing his experiences at the liberation of a prisoner of war camp near Braunau am Inn, Austria. Weaver also describes an incident involving the discovery of suffocated people in a railroad car in Simbach, Austria.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a liberator testimony by Alex Bourdas dated February 28, 1981. The testimony describes Bourdas' experiences with the 13th US Armored Division at the liberation of several "stalags" in the area of Altheim, Germany.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Consists of a brief letter written by Mr. S. Bateman circa March 1981. Mr. Bateman states in his letter that he was a member of the 119th Armored Engineers of the 12th United States Armored Division and participated in the liberation of Hurlach, one of the Landsberg/Kaufering group of Dachau subcamps.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies by concentration camp liberators and survivors, articles, and poetry relating to the liberation of Ebensee concentration camp and the various liberating units.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains testimonies and articles relating to the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp by various units of the United States Army.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a letter by Bernard D. Fox, February 28, 1981, relating to the liberation of an unspecified camp at Kaufering, Germany, (a number of Dachau subcamps were located in the vicinity) by members of the 443rd attached to the 36th U.S. Infantry Division.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a letter written by Rudolph P. Wirth on March 24, 1981, concerning the liberation of a concentration camp at Landau, Germany, by the 101st United States Airborne Division.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Consists of liberator testimonies relating to the liberation of Stalag VIIA, a prisonersof war camp near Moosburg an der Isar, Germany. The testimonies describe the treatment of POWs, including Americans. Also included is information concerning the liberation of camps near Munich, Germany, by members of the 45th US Infantry Division and the 9th US Infantry Division.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains of materials in various formats relating to the Terezín (Theresienstadt) concentration camp and to visits paid to the camp by members of the United States Army shortly after liberation by Soviet troops. The materials include information about the numbers of Jews in Terezín, the survival of Dr. Leo Baeck, and Terezín prisoners quarantined for typhus.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains letters written by John H. Hill and Buruil Hayes in 1981 relating to their experiences in liberating prisoners-of-war camps and concentration camps at the end of World War II. Hill describes the liberation of several stalags in Germany and the types of prisoners liberated from the camps. He also mentions encountering a camp for political prisoners while en route to Kinzenbach, Germany, as well as the Hadamar Institute where inmates were victims of euthanasia. The letter by Buruil Hayes describes his imprisonment in two separate stalags in Poland and his liberation by the Red Army.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a testimony by W. E. Montgomery, dated March 21, 1981, describing his involvement with the liberation of a prison in Amberg, Germany, in April and May 1945 with a section of the 3rd United States Army.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Consists of a brief letter written by Bill Sendtko on 12 March 1981. In the letter, Sendtko states that he witnessed a slave labor camp in Belgium while serving with the 82nd United States Airborne Division. He also describes the mass burial of the camp victims by citizens from a nearby town.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains June 15, 1981, letter by William H. Applegate confirming that he was present at the liberation of a "work camp" near Füsen, Germany, and later witnessed the aftermath of the Dachau liberation.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a questionnaire, copies of an article, and two letters concerning the experiences of William Pierce at the liberation of a labor camp and a camp near Neumarkt, Germany, and another camp near Wels, Austria. (The later camp, which he does not name, may have been Gunskirchen or Wels II, both subcamps of Mauthausen.) The article describes the scene at Neumarkt upon liberation, the diet of the slave laborers, and the type of labor the prisoners performed.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains two letters written by Sam West in March 1981. The two letters relate to West's liberation experiences at Augsburg concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau concentration camp.
1981 International Liberators Conference collection
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Contains a copy of a liberator testimony written by Rabbi Samuel Teitelbaum, dated April 7, 1981. The testimony describes Teitelbaum's experiences as a military chaplain from June 1943 to November 1945, and his account of the situation of the liberated Jewish communities of Tunis,Tunisia, and Palermo, Sicily.
