Eichmann Trial -- Session 69 -- Testimony of A. Beilin (Bialystok and Auschwitz, Yom Kippur 1944)

Session 69. Witness Dr. Aharon Beilin continues his testimony. He explains that he tried to hide from being rounded up in Bialystok to be deported to Auschwitz. He and his mother were in one bunker and his wife was in another. He talks about the SS doctor who was responsible for his selection - Dr. Rohde. Describes his mother being selected and a few hours later seeing her coat on a truck - realizing she was dead. 00:03:52 Explains what happened to those who were not selected - gymnastics. 00:06:01 He sent a postcard to his wife. The inmates were separated according to profession. Describes Schillinger beating people to death with a wooden spoon. 00:10:35 70% of people in his block died in four weeks. He recalls that those whose temperature rose a degree would be sent to the gas chambers - as a potential germ carrier. 00:12:38 Talks about people he encountered from countries other than Poland. 00:16:25 Talks of SS doctors in the camp. Jewish doctors became male nurses because Jews could not be doctors. 00:19:31 Asked about disease in the camp - spotted fever, diarrhea, scabies. 00:21:17 Asked about suicide. One Dutch doctor committed suicide after being told by Beilin that he would not see his wife and children again - as they had probably been killed. He observed that Jews of eastern Europe were more conditioned (used to enduring harsher conditions) and less likely to commit suicide than western European Jews. Repeats inscriptions on the wall of the sauna, and recites poems. 00:29:29 Talks about the political department - two departments, inmates who did tattooing and registration, and the department who sought out propaganda and intelligence. 00:31:17 Describes 'Musselmann'; Musselmann talk - when they discussed food, a taboo subject. 00:34:24 Epidemics, if they broke out in a block - all the inhabitants of that block would be killed. Roma arrived in September 1944 (later, he says 1943). Describes Roma not wanting to be treated by Jewish doctors, some were members of the Nazi youth, many greeted people in the camp with "Heil Hitler," some German Roma/Sinti arrived wearing German military uniforms. 00:42:22 Talks about how the Roma lived in Auschwitz - family camp, maternity ward (babies tattooed on the day of birth). What happened to the Roma in the camp - different illnesses to the other camps, plague (chickenpox which resembled bubonic plague), Noma (water cancer, gangrene of the mouth). Professor Epstein offered, by Eichmann, to prolong his life if he conducted medical experiments - he refused. Orphanage was emptied. 00:50:42 Talks about Mengele. Roma being liquidated, Hungarian Jews took their place. "Goebbels Calendar" - every Saturday and Jewish holiday sick ward was liquidated. Commotion in the audience. 00:55:00 Talks of his wife, and her being very ill. Beilin smuggled over a drug against typhoid for her, she died the next day. Describes how she got to Auschwitz. 00:57:49 Zyklon B was used to disinfect everything. Beilin passed out/went into coma from carrying bedding disinfected with Zyklon B. 01:02:44 Item, book with picture of Zyklon B label/container, marked T/1329. 01:03:40 Talks about Jewish boys who had sexual experiments conducted on them. 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.