Holocaust on Trial (2000)

NOVA: Holocaust on Trial (2000)

A British court challenges a historian’s denial of World War II genocide – fifty years after the final solution.

The slaughter of millions of Jews during World War II was the defining tragedy of the twentieth century. But some claim the Holocaust was a myth, and that the few who did survive the death camps are liars.

British historian and author David Irving is a non-believer who claims, among other things, that Hitler never mandated mass extermination of the Jews. Hailed by his supporters as the pre-eminent historian of the Third Reich and reviled as a Holocaust denier by his critics, Irving faced a highly publicized libel case in British court in early 2000 brought against him by American scholar Deborah Lipstadt.

"NOVA" reconstructs the charged and dramatic courtroom proceedings as Irving defends himself and Hitler's Nazi atrocities. Haunting, unsettling, moving, and enlightening, "Holocaust on Trial" traces the origins of the Final Solution and recounts the unimaginable horrors of the Nazi death camps through devastating and rare footage. Join "NOVA" in exploring the motives of those who continue to deny this atrocious history.

This program contains graphic footage of historical events. Parental discretion is advised.

Original air date: October 31, 2000.

* For more information on this program as well as educational resources, visit the original PBS web site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/holocaust/.

** The VHS of this program is rare and out-of-print, but is still available from Amazon.