REVISIONIST
PORTRAITS

On February 15, 2007 Revisionist activist, publisher and author Ernst Zündel was convicted of 14 counts of incitement for Holocaust "denial" and sentenced to five years imprisonment in Germany. The charges stem from his running a small publishing house, Samisdat Publishers and his alleged running of the popular and embattled revisionist Website, The Zündelsite.   More information.

Background

   ONCE ASKED BY THIS AUTHOR, "What are your plans for the future?," Zündel replied, "Struggle 'til victory is won!" This answer embodies the spirit and world-view of Ernst Zündel. For Zündel, Holocaust revisionism is a crusade which can be fought and won with the printing press, the copying machine, television and radio access, and the personal computer. It is with these "weapons" that Zündel has spread the word of Holocaust revisionism through his Samisdat Publishing, his newsletter, Power, his radio programs, "Another Voice of Freedom" his cable-TV shows, and most recently the Web site, Zündelsite.

   Zündel is best known for having survived two free speech trials in Canada. The charge came from the publishing of a booklet by Richard Harwood entitled, Did Six Million Really Die? The Orwellian crime with which Zündel was charged was a statute which had entered English law books in the 13th century. Section 177 of the Canadian criminal code states:

"Everyone who willfully publishes a statement, tale or news that he knows is false and that causes or is likely to cause injury or mischief to a public interest is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years." (Hoffman, The Great Holocaust Trial, p.43)

   Zündel's first trial, which has been dubbed, the "Great Holocaust Trial", began on January 7, 1985 and ran until March 25, 1985. Zündel's fighting spirit enabled him to turn the tables during this trial. Instead of Zündel being on trial, the holocaust story itself was put on trial with experts representing the revisionist and traditional views presenting their views. The prosecution would send in experts including Raul Hilberg, author of The Destruction of the European Jews; Arnold Friedman, an "eyewitness" to the "gassings" at Auschwitz; and Rudolf Vrba, author of I Cannot Forgive. (Faurisson p. 419-420). Zündel assembled an amazing array of revisionists including: Robert Faurisson, professor of Documents and Textual Critique at the University of Lyon in France; Ditlieb Felderer, the leading forensic investigator of Auschwitz, Udo Walendy, author of Forged War Crimes malign the German Nation; John Ball, author of Air Photo Evidence; Dr. Charles Weber, a member of the Editorial Advisory committee for The Journal of Historical Review; David McCalden, one of the founders of the Institute for Historical Review among others. Despite the valiant effort, Zündel would be sentenced by Judge Hugh Locke to 15 months in prison. In 1987, the United States would forbid him to enter its borders. (Faurisson, "The Zündel Trials: 1985 and 1988," p.419.)

   Zündel's conviction was overturned on appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal on January 23, 1987 and a new trial was ordered. The second trial would begin on January 18, 1988 and last until April 26, 1988. (Kulaszka, Did Six Million Really Die?, p.1) Regarding the second trial, Zündel would make the following declaration,

"The Zündel-Holocaust Trial II can become the Zionist's 'Stalingrad' and I have every intention of making it so. Our efforts can bring their obscene temple of lies crashing down around them, Samson-like. Even if I should be buried under the rubble myself, at least I would have the satisfaction of knowing that Zionism's moral myth would be destroyed, so that others might build a better world in the fresh air of freedom." (Hoffman, p. 94)

   During this second trial, Zündelwould put together an even more impressive team than during his first trial. This time he would be aided once again by Ditlieb Felderer, Udo Walendy, and Dr. Robert Faurisson. The defense team would be augmented by the likes of Thies Christophersen, author of Die Auschwitz Lüge; Bradley Smith, founder of Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust (CODOH); Mark Weber, editor of The Journal of Historical Review; Joseph G. Burg, an author of several books on the Second World War; Ivan Lagace, an expert in the design and operation of crematorium; and world-famous British historian, David Irving. Despite this expert assistance, the most important turn of events during this trial was when Zündel asked Fred Leuchter, an expert in the design and fabrication of execution hardware used in prisons throughout the United States, to prepare an expert opinion on the alleged gas chambers in Auschwitz, Birkenau and Majdanek. The result of Leuchter's trip was the now famous, The Leuchter Report: The First Forensic Examination of Auschwitz. Leuchter would conclude his report as follows: "...the alleged gas chambers at the inspected sites could not have then been, or now, be utilized or seriously considered to function as execution gas chambers." (Leuchter, The Leuchter Report, p. 19)

   Despite the expert testimony, on May 13, 1988, Ernst Zündel was sentenced by Judge Ronald Thomass to nine months in prison for publishing and distributing an unpopular booklet. Judge Thomas said in his sentencing,

"You will be sentenced to imprisonment for nine months. I don't intend to impose any terms of probation. I don't intend to require you to perform any community service. I simply say to you that it may be that you wish to be a martyr, and I was tempted to frustrate you in that purpose that you have, but I am required to send a message to any other persons like yourself that this community won't tolerate hate mongers. You'll be sentenced to nine months with no other additional penalty. Remove the accused." (Kulaszka, p.425)

   Finally on August 27, 1992, Zündel was acquitted by the Supreme Court of Canada. Section 181 (formerly section 177) of the Criminal Code was declared unconstitutional and a violation of freedom of expression under the Charter of Rights. After the acquittal, Zündel would write to Canadian Premier Bob Rae,

"I have expressed my political and historical opinions in a strictly democratic, constitutional and non-violent way for 34 years in Canada. It is important that a democratic government acknowledge wrongdoing and send a message to the public at large in this multi-ethnic society that members of all ethnic minorities, including Germans, are entitled to their own interpretation of their own people's history and are safe to express their viewpoints in Canada without being physically hurt, financially ruined, psychologically traumatized or being criminalized by wrongful government action." (Kulaszka p. 564)

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Faurisson, Robert. "The Zündel Trials (1985 and 1988)." Journal of Historical Review, Vol. VIII, No. 4, Winter 1988/89. Institute for Historical Review (1988).
• Hoffman, Michael, The Great Holocaust Trial, Wiswell Ruffin House, New York (1995).
• Kulaszka, Barbara, Did Six Million Really Die? Report of the Evidence in the Canadian 'False News' Trial of Ernst Zündel- 1988. Samisdat Publishers Ltd., Toronto (1992).
• Lenski, Robert, The Holocaust on Trial. Reporter Press, Argentina (1990).
• Leuchter, Fred, The Leuchter Report: The First Forensic Examination of Auschwitz, Focal Point Publications, London (1989).
• Weber, Mark. "My role in the Zündel trial." Journal of Historical Review, Vol. IX, No. 4, Winter 1989/90 Institute for Historical Review (1989).
• Zundel, Ernst.  Setting the Record Straight: Letters from Cell # 7.  Soaring Eagles Gallery, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (2004).

Note: Many of the above mentioned articles and books are available through the Institute for Historical Review - PO Box 2739 Newport Beach, CA 92659 and the Zundelsite Store.