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Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 107 and 108 -- Questioning Eichmann's loyalty and character

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1999.A.0087 | RG Number: RG-60.2100.200 | Film ID: 2200

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    Eichmann Trial -- Sessions 107 and 108 -- Questioning Eichmann's loyalty and character

    Overview

    Description
    Session 107 and Session 108. Eichmann is handed a paper and asked who wrote it. He wrote it recently, and says that he cannot feel completely innocent because his receiving orders is irrelevant thanks to retroactive paragraphs. He says that he has thought over his situation many times, and he decided that he was a tool of others, and at least to himself, he is innocent.

    00:10:07 Skip to an earlier sequence duplicated in Tape 2193. Eichmann is asked about his statements concerning being brought to Israel against his will, and later saying that he was relieved to be brought there to justify himself through testimony. Eichmann says that he wants to clear away the lies concerning his reputation that have come about in the previous 15 years so that he can give his family something to tell those who question them, and that is why he has insisted on a long cross-examination. The Judge responds that this could be problematic because Eichmann would want to present the facts in a positive light. Eichmann says this has not been done. 00:17:50 Eichmann's courage to speak the truth and assume responsibility is questioned here based on what some witnesses have said about Eichmann's character. The shifting of the blame by so many at Nuremberg is mentioned, and the Judge says that he understands that the accused have a right to not tell the truth, to not incriminate themselves, but Eichmann has said that he is not doing that, he is telling the truth. The Judge states that they have no prejudice against Eichmann, despite being in Israel, but want to uncover the truth just as Eichmann wants.

    00:27:01 Tape skips in middle of translation of the Judge's next statement and resumes at 00:27:58 with a Judge telling Eichmann that they do not take the words of witnesses as absolute fact (duplicate footage in Tape 2190). He tells Eichmann, who said earlier that he wanted to write a fair and frank book about what happened as a warning to especially the youth of Germany, that he can instead accomplish here what he wanted to do with his book, proving to the world and more importantly, to his sons, that he was innocent.

    00:33:54 The Judge begins pressing Eichmann on his statements of civic courage and the will to stick to your morals, and Eichmann's apparent refusal to do that. Eichmann says that one could not really resist the nation, that one person's efforts were irrelevant. He says that his ideal was to carry out the National Socialist doctrine as efficiently and as loyally as possible.

    00:41:49 After saying that there is a difference between responsibility and guilt, and saying he is guilty of taking orders, Eichmann is asked if he takes responsibility for the things he has done. He is asked if he takes responsibility for things he said in the Sassen memoirs. He says that he spoke truths in the corrections, and the Judge presses him, asking if he was drunk when he made corrections. Eichmann, becoming defensive, insists he was sober when he made corrections, and he told truths. The Judge says that he is mixing two stories, and Eichmann admits having relapses of nationalism as the nights wore on. The Judge pushes Eichmann about these recordings and writings, and then accuses him of not having civic courage. Eichmann gives an excuse, saying various parts of the submitted Sassen memoirs are not his writings, and he has in fact not read most of them. Judge Halevi finishes his questioning, and the Session is concluded.
    Film Title
    Eichmann Trial
    Duration
    00:55:04
    Date
    Event:  1961 July 24
    Production:  1961 July 24
    Locale
    Jerusalem, Israel
    Credit
    Accessed at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of The Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archives of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
    Contributor
    Director: Leo Hurwitz
    Producer: Milton Fruchtman
    Camera Operator: Rolf M. Kneller
    Camera Operator: F. Csaznik
    Camera Operator: J. Jonilowicz
    Camera Operator: J. Kalach
    Camera Operator: Emil Knebel
    Producer: Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation
    Biography
    Emil Knebel was a cinematographer known for Andante (2010), Adam (1973), and Wild Is My Love (1963). He was one of the cameramen who recorded daily coverage of the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem (produced by Capital Cities Broadcasting Corp and later held academic positions in Israel and New York teaching filmmaking at universities. Refer to CV in file.

    Physical Details

    Language
    English German Hebrew
    Genre/Form
    Unedited.
    B&W / Color
    Black & White
    Image Quality
    Mixed
    Time Code
    00:00:56:00 to 00:56:00:00
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 2200 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2200 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2200 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
      Master 2200 Video: Digital Betacam - NTSC - large
    • Preservation
    • Preservation 2200 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2200 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2200 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large
      Preservation 2200 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - large

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    You do not require further permission from the Museum to access this archival media.
    Copyright
    Public Domain
    Conditions on Use
    To the best of the Museum's knowledge, this material is in the public domain. You do not require further permission from the Museum to reproduce or use this material.

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Film Provenance
    Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation recorded the proceedings of the Adolf Eichmann trial in 1961. The original recording was made on two-inch format videotape. One set of videotapes contained selected portions of the trial for distribution to television stations. The "selected portions" version remained in Israel and was later turned over to the Israel State Archives. Capital Cities Broadcasting retained the set of videotapes containing the complete trial proceedings at offices in New York City until 1965, when they gave the videotapes to the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. The Anti-Defamation League, in turn, gave the complete set to the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1972. With a grant from the Revson Foundation, Hebrew University transferred the two-inch videotapes to U-Matic format. During the transfer process, Hebrew University created three duplicate sets. One set was given to the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive, one to the Israel State Archives, and one set to the Jewish Museum in New York City. In 1995, the Israel State Archives transferred the trial footage to digital videoformat with a grant from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Three subsequent digital videotape copies resulted from this transfer of footage. The Israel State Archives retained one digital copy and a second set was deposited at the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum received the third set of digital videotapes in May 1999.
    Note
    See official transcripts, published in "The Trial of Adolf Eichmann", Vol. I-V, State of Israel, Ministry of Justice, Jerusalem, 1994. Also available online at the Nizkor Project.
    Copied From
    2" Quad
    Film Source
    Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 2475
    Source Archive Number: VTEI 348
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:40:46
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1001880

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