SESSION XXIX
ABOUT THIS SESSION
SESSION 29 of the trial of Adolf Eichmann took place in the morning of Friday, May 5, 1961. After the submission of documents into evidence by the Attorney General Gideon Hausner for the prosecution, Eliezer Karstadt, a former resident of Riga, Latvia, testifies about the ghetto there. After Karstadt’s testimony, more documents are submitted into evidence, followed by the testimony of Avraham Aviel, who recalls his time in the Radun ghetto in Belarus. Rivka Yoselevska, originally slated to testify next, is revealed to have suffered a heart attack, and is thus unable to appear (Yoselevska would give her testimony the following week in SESSION 30). Instead, it is decided to use the time to resume a discussion regarding the taking of evidence from witnesses abroad who are unable or unwilling to come to Israel to testify. Following this discussion, Haim Behrendt testifies in regard to the Minsk ghetto.
Much footage from SESSION 29 has been lost. The surviving footage is presented here. Though none of Karstadt’s testimony survives in the trial tapes, a small portion of his testimony has been located in a 1961 TV broadcast. That footage is presented here with some minor edits made by the broadcaster.
NOTABLE MOMENTS
0:00:00 - Court not in session
0:02:43 - Eichmann enters
0:03:01 - Eichmann passes a document to Servatius
0:04:34 - Eichmann has a conversation with Servatius
0:05:01 - Judges enter
0:05:33 - Testimony of Eliezer Karstadt
0:06:58 - Submission of documents into evidence
0:15:58 - Testimony of Avraham Aviel
0:25:28 - Aviel recalls the deportation of Jews from Radun
0:34:12 - Aviel testifies about escaping a mass shooting
0:51:31 - Recess
0:52:40 - Servatius has a conversation with Assistant Prosecutor Ya’akov Bar-Or
1:05:35 - Discussion on Taking Evidence Abroad
1:29:40 - Testimony of Haim Behrendt
TRANSCRIPT
Material highlighted green survives in video form.
Material highlighted pink has been lost.
Material highlighted blue survives via third-party material.