why did willem van maaren betray the franks

And who among us, if our families were on the line and heading to extermination camps, wouldnt do what we could? It probably never will be. The authors suspicions were deepened during interviews he conducted for the biography. ", Barnouw told The Associated Press he and another colleague will review old files and testimony for new revelations. The case. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. However, the two new theories, painstakingly researched by a British and an Austrian author, and presented in separate books, have raised hopes once again and the NIWD is about to discover whether either of the scenarios stands up to close scrutiny. He had previously asked questions about the Annex and tried in many ways to see if there was anyone who had entered the building after closing hours. Pankoke and his team are compiling a huge database of other documents that may contain information relevant to the Frank case: lists of Nazi informants, lists of Jews who were turned over to the authorities, names of Gestapo agents who lived in Amsterdam, police records and so on. Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. In a 2002 biography of Anne Frank's father, Otto, author Carol Ann Lee suggested the betrayer might be Tonny Ahlers, a Dutch National Socialist. Who betrayed the Franks and why? Cookie Settings, NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States, Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Otherand the Birds Loved It, Balto's DNA Provides a New Look at the Intrepid Sled Dog, The Science of California's 'Super Bloom,' Visible From Space, What We're Still Learning About Rosalind Franklins Unheralded Brilliance. It claims that Ahlers - then a 26-year- old petty thief - had fallen on hard times by 1944 and desperately needed the bounty paid to Dutch civilians who exposed Jews in their midst. For as little as $6/month, you will: Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. Not only did he build the famous swinging bookcase to conceal the hiding place, but he served as an unofficial watchman over the annex through his employment in the warehouse below. These include Lena Hartog, the wife of one of the warehouse employees; and Nelly Voskuijl, the sister of one of the Franks helpers. Although Joop van Wijks book follows the course of his mothers life, the suspense swirls around his late aunt Nelly, Voskuijls sister. Van Maaren fought the accusations and rejected a settlement. It has been translated into around 67 languages and has sold over 31 million copies. Canadian author details surprising findings of cold-case investigation Rosemary Sullivan's new book documents the roughly five-year Dutch investigation into who. The German-born Frank, who moved to Holland in 1933, ran a spice-trading company that sold goods to the Wehrmacht, the German army. Multiple people have been suspected of informing the Nazis of the Franks' hiding place, while one theory suggests it may have simply been bad luck. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). After tracking down Hulsman for the book, Van Wijk learned of a heated conversation between Nelly and other members of the Voskuijl family during the hiding period. "However, after Otto Frank went into hiding, Tonny Ahlers was out doing other things in different parts of the city. Preview: Michael J. Even during the early days of the war, the Voskuijl family faced trouble with Nelly. Within five years, she was illegally buying bread and milk for her Jewish friends in hiding and just as important giving them her sought-after company. In the years following Nelly Voskuijls death in 2001, Van Wijk attempted to learn more about the relationship between his mother and his aunt from members of the large family. They also believe their work in solving this decades-old cold case resonates today. Two Dutch investigations, in 1947-48 and 1963-64, targeted the warehouse manager, Willem van Maaren, but were inconclusive. For decades suspicion centred on a man called Willem Van Maaren, who worked in the warehouse attached to the Franks' hiding place. Voskuijls father, Johan, was also in on the secret of the Jews in hiding. In analyzing the person who might have tipped off police to the location, the investigators adapted a standard law enforcement axiom in assessing suspects and looked for "knowledge, motive, opportunity." Kugler and Kleiman were also arrested and held at a penal camp for "enemies of the regime.". It has been widely believed that Willem van Maaren, a warehouse employee who worked for Otto Frank, outed the Frank family. Among other investigative strategies, they used artificial intelligence to sift through reams of data and original documents. Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation, The Diary of Anne Frank: the critical edition (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1989)., A-version 21 April 1944; B-version, 5 August 1943. In a 2018 book,The Backyard of the Secret Annex,Gerard Kremer, the son of a member of the Dutch resistance of the same name, argues that a Jewish woman,Ans van Dijk, was responsible for the Franks' capture. Out of the seven others who hid with her, her father, Otto Frank, was the only one who survived the Holocaust. And probably wasn't capable of betrayal, because had he betrayed the annex, he knew that he would end up losing his job.". Now, according to Daniel Boffey of the Guardian, a retired FBI agent has launched an investigation into the enduring historical mystery, hoping to find out once and for all who betrayed the young diarist. The people in hiding did not sleep a wink for the rest of the night. Most were gassed with brutal assembly-line efficiency. The helpers and people in hiding did not trust him. Ars may earn compensation on sales from links on this site. For decades, historians have debated who betrayed Anne Frank and her family. Did Willem van Maaren betray the Franks? For instance, Melissa Muller's 1998 biography of Anne Frank concluded that a woman named Lena Hartog, wife of the company's assistant warehouse manager, betrayed the family. Last year, the Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam floated a new theory: Nazi officers who were investigating illegal work and ration fraud at the warehouse accidentally stumbled upon the Jews hiding in the annex. The people in hiding slept through the first one, in July 1943. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. On Aug. 4, 1944, they went to investigate 263 Prinsengrachtthe same building where Anne and her family were hidingafter receiving tips of fraudulent food-ration cards and illegal employment happening there. Suddenly, a passer-by used a flashlight to take a look inside. I think he got the information from Ahlers," Lee said. In the middle of war, Nelly moved to Austria with a Nazi officer, only to have the relationship fall apart. Among other theories the Anne Frank House investigated was a 2016reportthat suggests no one was, in fact, responsible for leaking to the Nazis. Daniel Finkelstein reflects on the tragedy of the Frank family as a new book, published this week, delves into the riddle of who revealed their . Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. Writer Rosemary Sullivan chronicled the painstaking process in a new book, The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation. Hermann van Pels hit the ground with an axe, which finally drove them away. The involvement of Van Dijk, who was executed in 1948 after admitting to collaborating in the capture of 145 people, had been previously claimed. Pankoke and his colleagues, including an investigative psychologist, a war crimes investigator, historians, criminologists and archivists, approached the historical mystery like a criminal cold case. Pankoke also showed Wertheim a note, which investigators say Otto Frank received after the war, that specifically names Van den Bergh as the betrayer. During his research for the book, Van Wijk learned that Nelly did far more than engage in flirtations with German soldiers. While his mother referred to as Elli Vossen in The Diary of Anne Frank risked her life to hide eight Jews, his aunt had behaved shamefully during the occupation of the Netherlands, it was whispered. Although Miep Gies is the best-remembered of the Dutch helpers, Voskuijl was the closest to Anne in age and temperament. But all ofthe other people who were in hiding, and their collaborators, theyre just as important; theyre just not as famous.. Co-authored by Belgian journalist Jeroen De Bruyn, Van Wijks book is called, Anne Frank: The Untold Story, with the subtitle, The hidden truth about Elli Vossen, the youngest helper of the Secret Annex. (As 15-year old Anne refined her diary with an eye toward eventual publication, Elli Vossen was the pseudonym she gave to Bep.). Ahlers had discovered, says Lee, that Otto's herb and food preservative business had supplied the Wehrmacht throughout the war and that, she suggests, would have been enough to see Otto branded a collaborator. There is no smoking gun because betrayal is circumstantial.. Who betrayed Anne Frank? But Pankoke said Van Maaren did not hold up as a suspect once investigators examined all the information they found. According to Pankoke, for Van den Bergh to have that level of protection, he must have had some leverage with the Nazis. Immediately after the war, Willem van Maaren was the only suspect in the investigation into the raid of the Secret Annex by the Sicherheitsdienst. Just three days later, German police led by SS officers stormed the Annex, arresting the Franks and the Van Pels family and transferring them to the Westerbork transit camp after interrogation. First published in English in 1952 as "The Diary of a Young Girl" and later as a stage play and film, her story made her a symbol both of the Holocaust and of Dutch bravery. Left unsigned, the message named van den Bergh as the person who'd reported the Franks' hiding place to the Nazis. A petty thief and unsavory braggart, Van Maaren was investigated shortly after the war, but nothing was proved. He was the warehouse manager as well as the father of Bep, who worked in the office and was one of the helpers. And probably wasn't capable of betrayal, because had he betrayed the annex, he knew that he would end up losing his job." The most believable suspect was Arnold van den Bergh, a prominent Jewish businessman in the city who lived a lavish life during the holocaust. Incorrect password. / CBS News. Fox on Parkinson's: "Every day it gets tougher". The team looked at dozens of potential suspects before arriving at the person they believe likely gave up the Franks' location: Arnold van den Bergh. Erik Somers, a historian at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, praised the depth of the investigation but criticized its conclusion. We strive for accuracy and fairness. In the immediate aftermath of the war Otto, Anne's father, had trouble finding a publisher for the diary and was told that nobody wanted to read about the Holocaust. Two other plausible suspects emerged over the years: Lena van Bladeren-Hartog (died 1963) and Tonny Ahlers (1917 - 2000). Within several years the book had been translated into German, French and English, and was made into a film in 1959. On August 4, 1944, police in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam raided a warehouse and arrested eight Jews who were hiding in an annex disguised behind a bookcase. In addition to Johan Voskuijls involvement, another of the Voskuijl sisters sewed clothes for the Jews in hiding, making the effort a family affair. All Rights Reserved. A petty thief and unsavory braggart, Van Maaren was investigated shortly after the war, but nothing was proved. Anne Frank HouseWestermarkt 201016 DK Amsterdam, Ronald Leopold, Executive Director of the Anne Frank House. Ed Sheeran plays guitar in court in bid to show he didn't steal Marvin Gaye song Still, experts remain focused on the fate of the teenage diarist whose life was cut tragically short. In June 1947 1,500 copies of the Dutch edition of the diary were produced. A 2015 biography of Bep Voskuijl (co-authored by her son Joop) suggested that one of Bep's sisters, Nelly, may have snitched on the Franks. Barnouw, the historian, said the blackmail supposition is thin. My mother had lots of troubles with Nelly during the war and after the war, Van Wijk told The Times of Israel. Dutch police launched two separate investigations focusing on van Maaren, but did not uncover any conclusive evidence. They seem to work from the point of view that he was guilty and [find] a motive to fit that, Somers adds. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. This is not the first time that hopes of unlocking the mystery have been raised. Searching for Anne Frank's betrayer, 80 years on. He strongly suspected a warehouse employee named Willem van Maaren, who had sparked concerns among the Franks and the people who helped them hide. Pankoke and his team also spent hours looking for clues in the concealed rooms behind an Amsterdam warehouse, where the Frank family and four other Jews lived hidden away for more than two years. Anne died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in the spring of 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated. If Frank had known that Van Dijk had also betrayed his family, Pankoke reasoned, he would have had no incentive to keep the information quiet. If Frank had known that Van Dijk had also betrayed his family, Pankoke reasoned, he would have had no incentive to keep the information quiet. Suspicion for being the betrayer In several investigations after the war, Van Maaren was the prime suspect for the betrayal of Anne Frank; however Van Maaren publicly denied he was responsible. Specifically, the author believes Nelly was involved in the betrayal of the so-called Secret Annex Jews, including the iconic teenage diarist. It is still early days for the investigation, but Pankoke told Wootson Jr. of the Post that the team has already produced some interesting information. "I looked at his files in The Hague because after the war he was convicted of betraying people and he was jailed," Lee said in an interview for a Dutch television documentary. Anne Franks father Ottothe only member of the family to survive their subsequent deportation to the concentration campswas among the first to assert that a betrayal had led to their capture. After discovering some of the family's long-held secrets, Van Wijk now believes there is an unsettling reason behind his mother's relative "anonymity" among the helpers. Nelly fell in love with a young Austrian Nazi and had worked for a year on a German air base. (public domain), Author Joop van Wijk with the biography of his mother, Bep Voskuijl (courtesy), Bep Voskuijl, lower right, with Otto Frank (middle) and the other Dutch helpers in October, 1945 (public domain), Nelly Voskuijl during World War II (courtesy: Joop van Wijk), View of the secret annex with its blacked out windows at the renovated Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov. 21, 2018 (AP Photo/Peter Dejong), The Secret Annex in which Anne Frank wrote her diary, Amsterdam, January 2017 (Matt Lebovic/The Times of Israel), Otto Frank and Bep Voskuijl in 1978 (courtesy: Joop van Wijk), Anne Franks hiding place bedroom during the 1950s (left) and her restored bedroom at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam today (Matt Lebovic/The Times of Israel), Exterior of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, November 2014 (Matt Lebovic/The Times of Israel). As the whole world now knows, 15-year-old Anne Frank died (likely of typhoid fever) a day after her older sister, Margot, at the Bergen-Belsen death camp between February and April 1945. On a warm August morning in 1944, SS officers stormed into an Amsterdam warehouse and arrested Anne Frank, her parents, her sister and four other Jews who had been hiding in a secret annex at the back of the building. There was one sister, however, who took a different path, Van Wijk was told growing up. Although he heard about Nellys romantic liaisons with Germans while growing up, Van Wijk was never told about his aunts role as a Nazi collaborator. "Sometimes you can go through the same material with fresh eyes. Tellingly, the books title in Dutch was, Silent No More., The biography is my mission, said Van Wijk, who dedicated the book to Dutch resisters against Nazism. Not only was she carousing with German soldiers, but Nellys rowdy behavior earned her a stint in police custody. It was clear that Tonny Ahlers had no knowledge that Otto Frank and the others were hiding in the annex.". Michael J. It takes just a few seconds. Anne often wrote about good-natured Bep in her diary, including happenings in the large Voskuijl family of eight siblings. A detailed picture of the interior of the warehouse, reconstruction (1999). Van Maaren was later the subject of multiple investigations related to the betrayalincluding one by famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthalbut he always maintained his innocence, and none of the cases ever produced any evidence against him. [My mother] often lived in the past after the war and mulled over the split she found herself in: the loss of her Jewish loved ones from the Annex on the one hand, and her loyalty to her sister [Nelly] who had proven her services to the occupier on the other hand, wrote Van Wijk. WIRED Media Group display: block; Cookie Policy Ahlers said he believed his father received money from Frank, because the flow of funds stopped when Frank died in 1980. War diary of life in hiding became world bestseller The Diary of Anne Frank, first published in English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl, is one of the most widely read books in the world. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. On 17 January 2022 the cold case teampresentedtheir findings. He long suspected his family was turned in by Willem van Maaren, a recently hired employee who was not in on the secret behind the bookcase. "I think he actually made the call. Sign in to stop seeing this, Netanyahu calls for national unity at Independence Day ceremony, Five wounded in terror car-ramming near busy Jerusalem market, Godfather meets Shtisel: New Netflix thriller delves into Haredi diamond dealers, 15,000 attend controversial joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day event. After spending two years eluding Nazi capture while in hiding in Amsterdam, the Frank family was discovered on Aug. 4, 1944, and promptly deported from the Netherlands to concentration camps. He also was distrustful of the Ahlers family, saying they simply may be seeking notoriety. Left unsigned, the message named van den Bergh as the person whod reported the Franks hiding place to the Nazis. Regardless of whether van den Bergh was the person who informed on the Franks, the ones ultimately responsible for their deathsand those of the more than 100,000 Dutch Jews murdered during the Holocaustwere the Nazis. In 1947, Otto Frank and the helpers filed a complaint against him with the political police on suspicion of betrayal. Scholars and the public alike have long debated the identity of the individual (or individuals) who betrayed Frank, her family and the other residents of the so-called Secret Annex. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Shortly after World War II ended, Otto Frank suggested that the culprit was Willem van Maaren, a warehouse employee who was not in on the secret. My aunt Willy [Nellys sister] was furious until she died in 2015, just before the publication, he said. The groups hideout was located inside a warehouse he had once owned, and they were aided by several of his employees as well as other Dutch sympathizers. After discovering some of the familys long-held secrets, Van Wijk now believes there is an unsettling reason behind his mothers relative anonymity among the helpers. All rights reserved. Wertheim spoke with Vince Pankoke, a retired FBI agent. According to the researchers, the German Sicherheitsdienst police who discovered the family usually investigated cases involving cash and securities, not Jews in hiding. "She was out of town working not close to Amsterdam. Fox on Parkinson's, and maintaining optimism, Bruce Springsteen on "Nebraska," and the emergence of Springsteen the poet, Michael J. "On face value, you would think, okay, we found the guy," Pankoke said. Anne chronicled their lives in the Annex in her diary for the next two years, making her final entry on August 1, 1944. But isn't it even riskier to leave things as they are?. [Otto Frank] might have done this out of loyalty for my mother, wrote Van Wijk. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Fox on Parkinson's and how he finds "optimism is sustainable" Privacy Statement Suddenly, a passer-by used a flashlight to take a look inside. The Anne Frank House undertook its own investigation and arrived at a surprising new theory in 2017, thanks to the efforts of a historian named Gertjan Brock. Almost everyone involved with the case is dead and many historians believe that it is simply impossible to identify the culprit who betrayed the young girl whose poignant diary subsequently sold more than 31 million copies and made her one of the Holocaust's most famous victims. While admitting that the case is circumstantial and some reasonable doubt remains, Pankoke et al. All Rights Reserved. The Anne Frank House has opened its archives to Pankoke and his team, and, according to Boffey of the Guardian, welcomes the new research initiative. That, Ms Lee suggests, is more likely to have been a man called Maarten Kuiper, who made a living from the betrayal of Jews and who moved into Ahlers' flat with him the day before the raid. We had all stopped breathing audibly by then, 8 hearts were pounding, footsteps on our stairs, then a rattling on the bookcase door.' (Amsterdam: NIOD, 2003). For almost 60 years, the identity of that informant, whose call had such tragic consequences, has remained a mystery to historians and the most dogged Nazi hunters. Historians made no further headway. God truly protected us ,Anne wrote in her diary, much relieved. The book, released in English yesterday, points the finger of blame at a man called Anton Ahlers, a business associate of Otto's and a committed Nazi. "He may have got money for it. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. Experts have discovered, for instance, the identity of a person who betrayed at least one other family to the Nazis. Then, the team considered the motive. The helpers worked in the office above the warehouse. Magazines, Digital The burglars had ripped a panel out of the warehouses street door in order to get in. Among Voskuijls other secrets that her son came to know, the clandestine affection shared by his mother and Victor Kugler, one of the other Secret Annex helpers, fills a page of the book.

Shoma At Royal Palm Condominium Association, Inc, Caspar Sewell Biography, Atlanta Gymnastics Meet 2022, Articles W