Eichmann Trial -- Session 90 -- Cross-examination of the Accused about his forced emigration and his relations with the Jewish community of Vienna
Creator(s)
- Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
- Leo Hurwitz (Director)
- Capital Cities Broadcasting Corporation (Producer)
- F. Csaznik (Camera Operator)
- Milton Fruchtman (Producer)
- Emil Knebel (Camera Operator)
- J. Kalach (Camera Operator)
- Rolf M. Kneller (Camera Operator)
- J. Jonilowicz (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 in the middle of Session 90 during the cross-examination of Adolf Eichmann by Attorney General Gideon Hausner. Hausner questions the accused about the authenticity of certain documents. This is duplicate footage, also found on Tape 2126 (at 00:25:45) and a small part is duplicated on Tape 2129 (at 00:45:49). Eichmann is then asked a series of questions concerning his work in Austria, the forced emigration of the country's Jewish communities (00:03:43). He maintains that he never forced Jews to emigrate, nor "pauperized" the Jews through the confiscation of property (00:12:04). This is duplicate footage also found on Tape 2126 (at 00:25:48 to 00:34:42) although the footage on Tape 2126 is less complete. Hausner pressures Eichmann about his power over the Jewish functionaries in Vienna (00:20:45). Hausner states that rich Jews gave Eichmann money, ostensibly to pay for the emigration of poor Jews (00:24:31). Eichmann asserts that the money went to the Jewish community in Vienna and not to him personally. This is duplicate footage found on Tape 2126 (at 00:34:46) but the footage is less complete on Tape 2126. Hausner then asks about the $100,000 received from abroad for the Jews of Vienna and the fact that Eichmann did not tell the Jewish community that the money would be used for deportations (00:25:35). Hausner states that Eichmann's superiors regarded him as a "recognized specialist" in forced emigration (00:27:41), then asks Eichmann about the Jews losing their money because they were not allowed to take it with them. Eichmann responds that this was regrettable, but not his fault (00:29:26). The footage continues with Eichmann testifying about the absence of a program for physical extermination in 1938 and 1939 (00:39:05). Hausner then asks the accused about Reinhard Heydrich's perception of Eichmann's work in Austria. The cross-examination then turns to the subject of Kristallnacht in Austria, and whether or not the action was welcomed by the Security Service, to which Eichmann belonged (00:46:22). Eichmann testifies that the Security Service did not welcome the action and neither did he personally. He goes on to describe his membership in the Security Service and the fact that he was subordinate to the chief of the Security Service and Security Police (00:49:29). Hausner begins to ask the accused about his threats to Josef Loewenherz, head of the Jewish community of Vienna, that if he did not cooperate with him he would bring back the horror of Kristallnacht (00:54:40). The very end of this footage is duplicated on Tape 2126 (at 00:39:34) and is more complete on that tape.
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
- COURTS/COURTROOMS
- EICHMANN, ADOLF
- EMIGRES/EMIGRATION
- PALESTINE
- HAUSNER, GIDEON
- ZIONISTS/ZIONISM
- CONFISCATION/EXPROPRIATION
- PROSECUTORS
- HALEVI, BENJAMIN
- JEWS
- TRIALS
- WAR CRIMINALS/WAR CRIMES TRIALS
- LOEWENHERZ, JOSEPH
- EICHMANN TRIAL
- JUDGES
- KRISTALLNACHT
- SERVATIUS, ROBERT
- LANDAU, MOSHE
Places
- Jerusalem, Israel
Genre
- Unedited.
- Film