| | Mr. Setzer (and fellow Floridian),
The film is based on a translated transcript found in one of the offices of the SD. The transcript itself was the minutes of the meeting written down by Heydrich's associate Adolf Eichmann. Heydrich himself revised the minutes. These minutes were used as evidence at the Nuremberg trials of 1946, and later during Eichmanns trial in Israel. History does not record that the transcript was 'stuffed' behind a filing cabinet. The participants were never instructed to 'destroy' their copies of the transcript, no such record of an instruction of this type exist.
The minutes themselves are very short, and would take about a page and a half of actual comments. For the most part they are a statistical breakdown of the number of Jews remaining in the occupied territories, along with a commentary on the difficulties in handling this population group. The transcript includes a rough draft of the agreed definitions of what constitutes a Jew, and what does not. The minutes include some of the recommendations made to handle the Jewish problem and conclude with a direct reference for the need to carry out a 'final solution'.
Very few comments are made that actually quote or summarize the input of those participating. At no time do these minutes indicate any sort of 'word for word' discussion or arguments between participants. Very short one-paragraph summaries of the other participants are within the transcripts. They range from complaints about the strain the Jews are putting upon their resources in the occupied territories, to a few comments on what should properly constitute a Jew from a legal viewpoint. The motion picture is a highly melodramatic interpretation of what history records was an 85-minute meeting. In all probability the reality of that meeting was no more than Heydrichs attempt to coordinate the various branches of the Reich government in order to implement a solution that both he and Himmler had already decided upon.
The reality of the Wansee conference would probably not make a good motion picture (or even a good 30 minute documentary). The reality of the Wansee Conference was far more banal than the one depicted in the movie. There is no indication of any heated arguments or disagreements at the meeting. The truth is that the scenes within the movie that depict participants arguing with Heydrich, against the final solution (hesitating to agree would be a better term than, arguing) in favor of mass resettlement, are a dramatic tool. A reading of the minutes will leave you with no emotional impact whatsoever - the truth is that the final solution was arrived at in a very 'matter of factly' manner. They say that truth can be stranger than fiction; in this case the reality is far more 'cold' and dispassionate.
Mr. George W. Cordero
(Edited by Jeff Landauer on 8/06, 10:25am)
(Edited by Ision on 8/06, 11:04am)
(Edited by Ision on 8/06, 11:08am)
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