Eichmann Trial -- Session 102 -- Cross-examination of the Accused: corrections to the Sassen document

Identifier
irn1001856
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 1999.A.0087
  • RG-60.2100.176
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • English
  • German
  • Hebrew
Source
EHRI Partner

Creator(s)

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 102. Attorney General Hausner asks Eichmann to read the corrections he made to the Sassen memoirs. Questions concerning the German Minister of the Interior and his connection to Eichmann are addressed. He then decries the entire document, saying that it is completely muddled, and that he cannot answer any further questions on it. The President of Court says that he will answer questions until he is relieved; Eichmann cooperates, but says that he feels he is being "roasted" until they get the answer they want from him. 00:10:48 Following Eichmann's comments about feeling "roasted", the court adjourns for a break. Shots of people leaving the courtroom. 00:12:22 People begin to get seated in the courtroom. Shots of Eichmann's empty booth, and the lawyers getting seated. 00:18:00 Judges enter. Hausner continues, asking Eichmann about a document that he mentioned in a prior session which would discredit the Sassen memoirs. Eichmann reads a passage concerning his meetings with Richter and other members of his office. The amount of contact between the foreign ministry Eichmann's office are also discussed. 00:32:05 Eichmann reads a passage from the Sassen memoir that he corrected and the Attorney General marked. A protest with Rademacher against Antonescu is mentioned, and Eichmann insists that it was Sassen's quote, not his own. It was concerning sending Jews to areas that they were not in command of, "Judenfrei" areas. He says that he does not remember saying any of this, and that it was possible that this was something he said because Sassen insisted that it was so important that he remember that he had to make something up in order to publish a good book. 00:50:00 Eichmann reads a quote by him saying that he was in a camp in the Lublin area, where exterminations were carried out, saying that he did not know how the exterminations were carried out, but it was not gas. He is talking about learning to drive a half-track. He talks about being told the story of a revolt and takeover by a number of the prisoners. Questions about this, a man named Hoeffle, and which camp this was, whether Treblinka or Majdanek, are discussed. He cannot remember when he made any of these trips to camps, frustrating the Prosecution. 00:58:01 Eichmann is given another document that he corrected heavily. Eichmann reads this document in German. It is Eichmann explaining his position with respect to concentration camps. He begins to discuss his role with the Gestapo, and the tape ends before any concrete answers are given.

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.

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