Publisher Ambo Anthos will immediately stop supplying the book The Betrayal of Anne Frank. Bookstores are being asked to return their stock. The reason for this is a critical counter-examination presented tonight by a number of leading experts. According to them, the book wrongly designates the Amsterdam civil-law notary Arnold van den Bergh as a traitor to the Secret Annex.
According to the experts, the investigation by a cold case team into the betrayal of Anne Frank was carried out amateurishly and conclusions were drawn based on misinterpretation and tunnel vision.
In Anne Frank’s Betrayal by Rosemary Sullivan, a team of historians and criminologists spent six years researching a large amount of collected data, including interviews, diaries and war files, using modern techniques. The researchers concluded that Arnold van den Berg had passed on the hiding addresses of Anne Frank and the other people in hiding in the Secret Annex to the Germans in order to save his own family. However, when the Secret Annex was betrayed, Van den Bergh was in hiding with his family in Laren.
Criticism
Shortly after publication, the researchers’ assumptions were heavily criticized by experts and experts. On their own initiative, six scientists led by Professor of Jewish Studies Bart Wallet of the University of Amsterdam walked past the evidence. They have nothing good to say about it.
“The cold case team has turned the betrayal of the Secret Annex into an exciting cold case case,” according to the experts in their report (pdf)† “Unfortunately, it must be noted that the investigation was carried out amateurishly and wrongly designated Arnold van den Bergh as the traitor of Anne Frank due to misinterpretation and tunnel vision.”
“Misunderstood”
According to the group of experts, the historical context of the Second World War and the immediate post-war period is frequently misunderstood in the book. “The fact that he (Arnold van den Bergh ed.) survived the war and was not in a camp is again seen as an expression of privilege and as a possible indication of treason. In fact, that makes everyone who went into hiding suspicious. “
Anne Frank specialist David Barnouw previously said to AT5/NH Amsterdam that he critical is on the book. Publisher Ambo Anthos has already apologized and additional printing of the book has been postponed. The municipality of Amsterdam is also investigating the recovery of a ton of subsidy that was given for the creation of the book.