SESSION LVI
ABOUT THIS SESSION
SESSION 56 of the trial of Adolf Eichmann took place in the afternoon of Monday, May 29, 1961. The session begins with the tentative conclusion of the testimony of Professor Gustave M. Gilbert, the psychologist whose testimony began that morning in SESSION 55. Gilbert will return to give additional testimony in SESSION 57. After Gilbert is dismissed, Joel Brand is called as a witness. Brand had been highly visible as a witness even before the trial began, appearing at a number of press conferences and in news coverage of the trial. A former leader in the Jewish community of Budapest, he had negotiated directly with Eichmann in a deal Brand describes as ‘Blood for Goods’; an exchange proposed by Eichmann in which Budapest Jews would be permitted to immigrate to Palestine in exchange for trucks. Brand’s testimony will continue in SESSIONS 57 and 59.
The vast majority of SESSION 56 has been lost. The 30+ minutes of surviving footage are presented here.
NOTABLE MOMENTS
00:00 - Conclusion of the testimony of Professor Gustave M. Gilbert
02:29 - Testimony of Joel Brand
05:56 - Brand is asked to identify Eichmann in the courtroom
06:57 - Eichmann smiles
07:12 - Brand describes his first encounter with Eichmann
10:26 - Eichmann passes a note to Servatius
11:01 - Brand discusses the ‘Blood for Goods’ proposal
19:43 - Eichmann passes a note to Servatius
27:56 - Brand describes his reaction to the ‘Blood for Goods’ proposal
TRANSCRIPT
Material highlighted green survives in video form.
Material highlighted pink has been lost.