Eichmann Trial -- Session 109 -- Slawik affidavit and related questioning
Creator(s)
- Rolf M. Kneller (Camera Operator)
- Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation (Producer)
- Leo Hurwitz (Director)
- Milton Fruchtman (Producer)
- Emil Knebel (Camera Operator)
- F. Csaznik (Camera Operator)
- J. Jonilowicz (Camera Operator)
- Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
- J. Kalach (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
Session 109. Shots of Eichmann's empty booth. He enters. 00:06:35 Judges enter the courtroom. They begin the 109th Session of the trial. The Slawik affidavit is read for the Defense. The witness, Alfred Josef Slawik, was a servant of Eichmann's in Budapest. He says that he never heard of any cases where a Jew was mistreated. He discusses numerous things that Eichmann has been accused of doing in his time at the villa, and says that all of them are false. 00:19:51 Hausner points out that Slawik says he was employed by Eichmann for only a few months in a single place. 00:20:48 Dr. Servatius says that this testimony was not available when he questioned Eichmann as a witness, he asks if he could ask a few questions, and he is allowed. 00:22:49 Eichmann is asked about and says that he does not remember a man named Keitel, but he was told about him. Dr. Servatius asks about Keitel's execution for shooting an old woman. Eichmann says that he never heard anything, and he would have had to have been informed of such things. Keitel must have brought him an amphibious vehicle, and then became superfluous, he does not remember him. Servatius concludes his questioning. 00:29:37 Hausner asks about Eichmann having three drivers, as said in Slawik's testimony. Eichmann says that's not exactly true. There was a drivers pool from which he would pick one, and over time, one would drive him regularly, and at times Eichmann would drive himself, but he never had three drivers at one time. Eichmann acquired an amphibious vehicle from a special supply of the SS where he pulled some strings after his car, an Opel, gave him some issues. The driver who came with it soon left him. Eichmann said he never needed an amphibious vehicle and did not ask for one, but used it for motorsport and enjoyed it. Eichmann admits that it is strange that Slawik knew about these things and he did not. 00:41:00 Servatius has no need for more questions. Tape goes black and starts at 00:41:37 with the previous question being answered by Eichmann. Servatius is asked about a document he had previously not yet read. He submits a series of documents which have already been mentioned. The court deliberates concerning whether or not these documents can be submitted at this time. 00:50:18 An affidavit by the witness Geza Lakatos is accepted by the court. The judges then converse. Some discussion ensues concerning the incorrect numbering of some documents. He gives copies of the excerpts from a book by the Organization of Anti-Fascist Fighters about the Lidice children he submitted into evidence the previous day. The court has a problem with the book's statement of authenticity. Hausner discusses the translation of the word 'sonderbehandlung.' Whether or not this affects the testimony about Lidice children by the witness Krumey is discussed (duplicate footage on Tape 2206).
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
- SERVATIUS, ROBERT
- ANTISEMITISM
- BOOKS
- LIDICE (ATROCITY)
- DOCUMENTS
- JEWS
- KEITEL, WILHELM
- COURTS/COURTROOMS
- EICHMANN, ADOLF
- EICHMANN TRIAL
- HUNGARY
- JUDGES
- CHILDREN
- TRIALS
- HAUSNER, GIDEON
Places
- Jerusalem, Israel
Genre
- Film
- Unedited.