Eichmann Trial -- Session 90 -- Cross-examination of the Accused about forced emigration
Creator(s)
- Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
- Emil Knebel (Camera Operator)
- Leo Hurwitz (Director)
- J. Kalach (Camera Operator)
- Rolf M. Kneller (Camera Operator)
- Milton Fruchtman (Producer)
- J. Jonilowicz (Camera Operator)
- Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation (Producer)
- F. Csaznik (Camera Operator)
Biographical History
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.
Scope and Content
The footage begins near the opening of the session. Attorney General Gideon Hausner asks Adolf Eichmann if, when he joined the Nazi Party, he knew of the slogans "Awake, Germany Judea, Perish" and "When Jewish blood spurts from the knife." Eichmann states that he did not know these "songs" and that he joined the party not because of its program against the Jews but because of its stand against the Treaty of Versailles. This duplicates footage found on Tape 2129 (at 00:06:20). Hausner then asks Eichmann whether he knew that Hitler's aim was to destroy the Jews (00:03:56). Hausner questions Eichmann about the origins of his hostility towards the Jews. Hausner states that he, Eichmann, once said that his hostility to the Jews began when Chaim Weizmann declared war on Germany in 1939. Chaim Weizmann was president of the World Zionist Organization from 1935 to 1946. A large section of the proceedings is missing and the footage resumes with Hausner questioning Eichmann about Eichmann's efforts to prevent the emigration of Jews from Hungary to Palestine. The beginning of this section duplicates footage found on Tape 2129 (at 00:44:30), but is more complete on Tape 2126. Hausner cites Hitler's authorization for the emigration of Hungarian Jews to Palestine and Eichmann's efforts to prevent such emigration (00:18:55). Hausner questions the accused about the authenticity of documents. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2127 (at 00:00:35) and Tape 2129 (at 00:45:49). Hausner begins to ask Eichmann about his work in Austria, then the visual breaks off. This duplicates footage found on Tape 2127 (at 00:03:43) and is more complete on that tape. Eichmann is asked a series of questions regarding his work in Austria and the forced emigration of the country's Jews. He maintains that he never forced any Jews to emigrate. Eichmann is asked about the intended pauperization of the Jews through the confiscation of their property. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2127 (at 00:12:04). A section of the proceedings is missing and footage continues with Eichmann answering Hausner as to whether Eichmann seized power from the Jewish functionaries in Vienna, and whether he advocated rich Jews financing the emigration of poor Jews (00:38:25). Eichmann insists any money he received went to the Jewish community in Vienna. This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2127 (at 00:20:45) and is more complete on Tape 2127. A large section of the session is missing and the footage resumes with Hausner cross-examining Eichmann about threats he made to Josef Loewenherz, head of the Jewish community in Vienna. Eichmann told Loewenherz that if did not comply with Eichmann's demands, Eichmann would "bring back the horrors of Kristallnacht." The very beginning of this section is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2127 (at 00:54:40) but is less complete on that tape. Eichmann is then questioned about threatening Jews with deportation to Buchenwald (00:45:28). The remainder of the footage on this tape is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2128 (at 00:00:50). The footage is more complete on Tape 2128 because it continues through the end of the session.
Note(s)
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.
Subjects
- EICHMANN, ADOLF
- EICHMANN TRIAL
- PROSECUTORS
- JUDGES
- SERVATIUS, ROBERT
- HALEVI, BENJAMIN
- TRIALS
- ZIONISTS/ZIONISM
- KRISTALLNACHT
- COURTS/COURTROOMS
- EMIGRES/EMIGRATION
- JEWS
- PALESTINE
- CONFISCATION/EXPROPRIATION
- WAR CRIMINALS/WAR CRIMES TRIALS
- HAUSNER, GIDEON
- LOEWENHERZ, JOSEPH
Places
- Jerusalem, Israel
Genre
- Film
- Unedited.