Eichmann Trial -- Session 108 -- Evidence regarding Hungary's anti-Jewish legislation

Session 108. Dr. Servatius reads from the affidavit of Vessenmayer, examined on May 23, 1961 before the Court of First Instance in Darmstadt. He says that there was a plan to decentralize the Jews in Hungary into different camps to prevent any kind of uprising. 00:05:45 Servatius finishes reading passages, and Hausner decides not to cite any passages from that testimony. Dr. Servatius submits extracts from the Nuremberg judgment in the case of Veesenmayer. Hausner insists that Servatius submit all of the documents rather than just the few passages that he chooses to read. This is discussed at length. 00:11:22 Dr. Servatius begins reading sections of the testimony into the record. The plenipotentiary of Hungary, which at the time was an ally of Germany, said that Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews and that any Jews that have asylum are against his wishes. He says that his successor wanted to make Hungary a harbor for Jews, and use that favor gained after the war. Eliminating the Jews became a requirement for Hungary entering into the protection of the Reich. 00:20:12 The notes in the margin are discussed, including a plan where for every Hungarian killed by bombs, 100 rich Jews would be killed and their possessions used for compensation. All of the aforementioned ideas were adopted. Servatius argues, using the reports of Veesenmeyer, that it would not have been acceptable that the task of deporting the Hungarian Jews could be given to Eichmann. 00:33:17 After suggesting that Eichmann was not responsible for executing the extermination but rather for being the creator of the idea, Servatius reads a letter from Veesenmeyer saying that because of an uprising of Jews in Hungary, at least the male Jews must be removed and moved down the Danube. Since Hungary had no means to do this, they contacted the Foreign Ministry. This, Servatius argues, shows that they were the ones who created the idea of relocating the Jews. Then it was asked by the Hungarians if the Jews could be liquidated on the spot, and the logistics of shooting them were figured out, first being used in the case of Jewish Communist agitators. Hausner objects to Dr. Servatius using documents that discredit his own witness. 00:43:00 Dr. Servatius ridicules the court for its treatment of Eichmann in light of this evidence. The bench declines comment. 00:46:02 Servatius submits the testimony of von dem Bach Zelewski to the Nuremberg courts. He believed that the name Eichmann had been an invention. The cooperation of the Einsatzgruppen with the head office of Reich Security is then discussed. It is also said that Eichmann's name was absent from many conversations discussing these things. Tape cuts out midsentence. 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.