lie Longerich (Lipstadt: lie Longerich)

THIS ” NEUTRAL” expert witness and specialist on Hitler,
Dr Peter Longerich, had an embarrassing moment with
Mr Irving two years earlier.

Lecturing at the German
Institute in London on the evolution of Hitler’s [non existent] decision to exeterminate all the Jews, he found Mr Irving in the audience. Mr Irving asked during the subsequent discussion how Longerich reconciled his extreme views and opinions, which were unsupported by any documents as he admitted, with documents like the Schlegelberger memorandum, which recorded Hitler as ordering in the spring of 1942 all work on the Final Solution put on the back burner “until

the war is over.” Mr Irving had a copy of the memorandum in my hands. The audience was stunned, having never heard of this; Longerich has never included it in his books. The chairman, however, rose in a lather of embarrassment and informed the audience — to gasps — that
Herr Professor Dr Longerich had informed him before starting his lecture that if Mr Irving were to ask any question, he was not prepared to lower himself to answering it. As said, a truly “neutral” witness.

When
Mr Irving tried to cross examine Longerich on this episode, to reveal the witness’s bias, he was cut short by the judge (who may not have realised its significance).