A book was written on who was the one to betray Anne Frank during the time of the Holocaust. After deep research and investigation, the book’s investigating team suggested that a Jewish man named Arnold van den Bergh was the one responsible for her and her family’s arrests.
Since the book was published in January, the work has been criticized by the public. A new report by a team of WWII investigators and experts has claimed that the research does not stand up to scrutiny.
The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation notes that Jewish notary Van den Bergh had most likely been the one to reveal the Franks’ hiding place to save his own family. Its investigating team, led by a hired FBI investigator spent six years trying to solve this case.
However, the book written by Rosemary Sullivan prompted scrutiny and backlash from Jewish historians. The European Jewish Congress urged the publisher, HarperCollins, to pull the English language edition stating that it had tarnished Anne Frank’s memory and the dignity of all Holocaust survivors.
A new report states that the book contradicted all statements and findings on the betrayal book.
In response, the Dutch publishing house Ambo Anthos said that the book would no longer be stock their shelves. Furthermore, the publisher offered apologies to those offended by the book. Meanwhile, the granddaughter of Van den Bergh has called on HarperCollins to drop the English language edition.
She has stated, “With this story, you are exploiting the story of Anne Frank, you are falsifying history and you are contributing to great injustice.”
The book’s team has stood by their research, saying that they had never claimed to have uncovered the ultimate truth to who had betrayed the Frank family.
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