Go back to The Eichmann Trial; Participants, Then & Now or Who’s Who at the Trial
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Baror, Ya’acov
Deputy State Attorney
1961 Quote: 5/16/61: BAROR: What were the subjects discussedwhen you appeared in Adolf Eichmann’s office?
WITNESS HEINRICH KARL GRUEBER, A BERLIN PRIEST: I went there very often andraised all the questions of importance to us. Questions about emigration,questions about treatment of Jews and everything of importance – I raised themall in the office unless they were matters concerning other authorities.
BAROR: Did you sometimes manage to achieve your purpose in going to seeEichmann?
GRUEBER: As far as I remember, either I heard a “no,” or I was told you willreceive a reply, come back. But I do not ever remember being given a decisionwith a “yes.”
BAROR: Mr. Grueber, do you remember whether during these meetings orconversations the Accused ever referred to his superior’s instructions, which hehad to ask for or receive?
GRUEBER: As far as I can remember, everything was in the first person, i.e., Iorder, I say, and I cannot; whether that was an expression for – if I can put itthis way – making himself more important, or whether he really did not only wishto give the impression but really was entitled to decide matters by himself, I amnot aware of a single instance in which he may have said: I have to consult asuperior authority. I certainly do not remember any such instance.
1996 Quote: The judges had, right through the trial, been reallyopen-hearted. They were disgusted, sometimes, and they said they were disgusted. They were even, sometimes, amused. And they looked it. They were disgusted, inan openness that is wondrous to me, today. Eichmann himself must have felt thathe had a very fair investigation. He was treated not like a criminal. He wastreated like a man in trouble. In deep trouble, with human fairness. Months andmonths of expressing himself the way he saw it, and that was tendered to thecourt. He must have felt that there was humanity in the treatment. I’m terriblyhappy about that.
