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Anne Frank was probably betrayed by a Jewish notary

This is apparent after years of research by an international cold case team, various media write. Various theories have emerged about Anne Frank’s betrayal in recent decades, but according to NRC An investigation into the traitor has never been handled so thoroughly before.

no ‘wither’

Main investigation Pieter van Twisk, who worked on the case together with an international team for the past six years, tells the newspaper that he hoped that ‘a bastard’ would have betrayed Anne Frank.

Instead, it was probably the Jewish notary Arnold van den Bergh. He was a founding member of the Jewish Council, which the German occupiers used to organize the deportation of Jews.


The international team handled the case as a police investigation. More than thirty investigators were involved, including retired FBI detective Vince Pankoke.

Against the US Pankoke says it was “not a cold case,” but “a frozen case.” The researchers tried to form a picture on the basis of lost archival documents, an enormous mountain of data and deceased witnesses.

‘Geen smoking gun’

Van den Bergh has not often come forward as a suspect in recent decades, but an anonymous note about his action was decisive. It is not about definitive proof, the researchers emphasize.

According to Pankoke, the theory has “a probability of at least 85 percent.” He describes it at the NOS as follows: “We don’t have a smoking gun, but we do have a hot weapon with empty shells next to it”.

‘Otto Frank knew traitor’

The investigators are convinced that Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father, knew the traitor. He would not have wanted to tax the notary’s children and therefore may not have prosecuted.


Van Twisk thinks there is a second reason why Otto Frank did not want to make the identity of the Jewish notary public. “Frank was very concerned with the anti-Semitism that rose again after the war. He was probably afraid that this would be used to say: look, those Jews did it all themselves,” explains the lead researcher to NRC.

‘Truth is the highest good’

For that reason, the researchers also wondered whether they should publish the study. According to Van Twisk, they consulted a rabbi. “He said: the truth is the highest good,” he tells the newspaper.


‘The betrayal of Anne Frank’

NRC writes that documentary maker Thijs Bayens, a friend of Pieter van Twisk, came up with the idea for the extensive research. It was financed with crowdfunding and contributions from the City of Amsterdam, private individuals and publishers.

The book ‘The betrayal of Anne Frank’ is published about the case.


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