The publisher Ambo/Anthos is withdrawing the Dutch edition of the controversial Anne Frank book. After harsh criticism from experts, the publisher announced: “Based on the report, we decided to take the book off the market immediately.” The stationary bookstores would be asked to send back their stocks of the. The publisher also apologized again. On Wednesday morning, however, “Het verraad van Anne Frank” was still available on Amazon.
In Amsterdam on Tuesday evening, a six-strong Dutch research team led by historian Bart Wallet, professor of Jewish history at the University of Amsterdam, presented its review of the investigation into Anne Frank’s treason. The event was nothing short of a first class dismantling. In the end, nothing was left of the work of the “Cold Case Team” that the American publisher had commissioned to research the book.
The team around the Dutch documentary filmmaker Thijs Bayens and the retired FBI investigator Vince Pankoke wanted to use the most modern methods to solve the mystery of who betrayed the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis. With “85 to 87 percent” certainty, according to Bayens and Pankoke, it is said to have been the Jewish notary Arnold van den Bergh. According to Bart Wallet on Tuesday evening, there was simply “no serious evidence” for this serious allegation.
A representative of the Jewish community demanded that HarperCollins, where the book was first published in English in January, finally take back the English edition as well. However, the major American publisher has not yet responded. The German edition of the book was originally scheduled to appear on March 20 under the title “The Betrayal of Anne Frank”. In February, the German Harper Collins boss Jürgen Welte canceled this appointment with reference to a thorough examination of the manuscript, but held on to publication. Welte has not yet commented on the current developments either, and the announcement of the German edition on Amazon can no longer be found.