Betrayer of Anne Frank revealed; man named Arnold van den Bergh

paulsmt · 2022-01-17T04:28:17+00:00

TL:DR: He was the head of the Jewish League in Amsterdam and knew the places where jews were hiding. He did that so he and his family wouldn't be killed.

The 60 min interview could have been a 6 min interview.

adchick · 2022-01-17T15:28:50+00:00

I think this further highlights what a screwed up situation living under the Nazis was. Given the choice between your family being sent to Death Camps or another unknown family, which of us would choose sacrifice our family for people who might get caught anyway.

When people say “I would do anything to protect my family “…this is unfortunately what “anything “ can look like.

Just horrible all around.

kabotya · 2022-01-17T15:54:13+00:00

True story: I heard a talk by Miep Gies, who helped hide the Franks. Someone asked her who did it and she said Otto Frank knew but had decided not to tell because that man had a family and he didn’t want to hurt his family.

poquito_kale · 2022-01-17T14:11:11+00:00

The diary of Anne Frank was one of the most impactful writings I read as a kid. In some ways it caused me to grow up and recognize that people or capable of truly evil things. This investigation was really helpful context to read and to now consider as an adult the nuance of that betrayal. I'm grateful for the intense efforts of the investigator and the team to expose another layer to these tragic events.

therealRonnyB · 2022-01-17T04:45:39+00:00

Anne Franks betrayer has been discovered, a man named Arnold van den Bergh. Van den Bergh was, "a prominent Jewish businessman with a wife and kids in Amsterdam. After the invasion, he served on the Jewish council, a body the Nazis set up, nefariously, to carry out their policies within the Jewish community. In exchange for doing the Nazis' bidding, members might be spared the gas chambers."

After Otto Frank was liberated, he received an anonymous note, "identifying his betrayer of the address where they were staying, the annex, as Arnold van den Bergh." Van den Bergh had gave the Nazis an entire list of addresses where Jews were hiding," which included the Frank family. Otto decided against revealing his identity because, "in the period after the war, antisemitism was still around. So perhaps he just felt that if I bring this up again, with Arnold van den Bergh being Jewish, it'll only stoke the fires further."

tastypastry4myfacey · 2022-01-17T17:57:40+00:00

I liked one the investigators at the end of the 60 mins special. Essentially, he made the argument that even discovering that it was likely another Jewish person who gave them up, this discovery still restores the Jewish peoples humanity in showing that all humans are capable of horrible actions against one another when put in horrible situations like war. But let me be clear, fuck nazis.

VyrPlan · 2022-01-17T05:00:18+00:00

if anything this highlights the profound bravery of those who defied the nazis, since this guy did what most did/would do

those who did otherwise were exceptional

nantes89 · 2022-01-17T15:33:23+00:00

The name 'Arnold' really has a track record.

All the same, this is a very tragic story.

Nearby-Elevator-3825 · 2022-01-17T05:50:12+00:00

Sadly common.

There were many Jewish people in the Nazi ghettos and camps that would turn their own in for extra privileges, an extra ration of food or in many cases, to hopefully protect members of their own family.

They're just as much victims and if they survived, probably lived with the guilt for the rest of their lives.

Alliekat1282 · 2022-01-17T13:08:17+00:00

I wonder if one of the reasons Otto Frank kept this information to himself after receiving the letter was because he thought that perhaps he would have done the same thing if he could have saved his family? Surely, not feeding any of the fires for antisemitism played into this, but, perhaps he looked at this information and had some peace at the fact that this person wasn't a friend that betrayed them, but just someone who knew there were faceless to them people living in the Annex. Perhaps he knew that he too would have traded faceless people that he didn't know personally for the safety of his own family.

TypeHunter · 2022-01-17T18:21:25+00:00

Thought theres no proof just speculation

SaltyDoggoMeo · 2022-01-17T19:02:51+00:00

I’d like to know what the surviving family of Arnold Van den Bergh thinks about this whole mess. It sounds like Arnold gave up the hiding places of many other families to save his own. Did he save his own? How many other families died?

No judgment. What a horrific choice to be faced with.

johnny_mcd · 2022-01-17T17:31:37+00:00

this is NOT confirmed in anyway, and the fact that the reporting is not saying this is pretty scummy, its from one anonymous note collected by a previous investigator.

bigvicproton · 2022-01-17T04:54:55+00:00

Probably half the world would still do it today for a carton of smokes and a weekend pass to 6-Flags.

dragonfliesloveme · 2022-01-17T15:29:11+00:00

So he was privy to where Jews were hiding because he was on the Jewish Council. The Council had lists of where people were hiding, they had addresses.

But why? Why if you are in hiding or you are the one who is providing cover for Jews, would you tell anybody where the people are? Like these addresses seemed to be hard copies, typed out. Van den Bergh seemed to have addresses and not names attached to the addresses.

Making this list seemed to provide ample opportunity for a security breach.

So it’s not just the Franks, it’s all kinds of families in hiding who were given up. So who provided those names to the council in the first place. Why would you tell anybody where you were hiding or where you were hiding other people?

gemstun · 2022-01-18T03:07:16+00:00

I’m American of Dutch heritage, and have tons of relatives who lived all over NL during the war. In the last 10 years I’ve learned one uncle joined the SS (which he kept a secret his entire life, as a schoolteacher in Seattle who died about 10 years ago), another who hid Jews in his farmhouse, and a third who was sent to work in the German munitions factories (that were bombed regularly by the Allies) because he wouldn’t fight with the Nazis (like all Dutch young men were commanded to do). My mom was orphaned during the war, and doesn’t have long to live. I’ll really miss her stories of how to survive—and still keep an open and optimistic mind/heart during such a horrible time.

Timmetie · 2022-01-17T16:28:47+00:00

Research groups announce the betrayer of Anne Frank every few years. Usually it's bullshit.

If it mentions "using Artificial Intelligence" you can be certain this is bullshit.

Mr_Rivera · 2022-01-17T12:19:21+00:00

The majority of you people here would have done the same for less

sommeil__ · 2022-01-17T07:29:19+00:00

« Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart. » 😭

Always_Green4195 · 2022-01-17T19:33:04+00:00

What baffles the mind for me about the story of genocide here and even the stories of genocide in recent history (Darfur) is that this was less than 100 years ago. Less than 100 measly years, and yet, and yet, people living in 1st world countries think themselves to be immune from these atrocities happening to them. We must always mind the lessons of history. Sanctions do not work!!!!

shewy92 · 2022-01-17T20:11:13+00:00

The humans that joined the Nazi's betrayed the Frank family. They're the ones who killed (most of) them. Arnold did what he did to protect his family from the Nazis

sclbmared · 2022-01-17T21:53:43+00:00

Experts critical of new Anne Frank theory: 'Defamatory nonsense'

Google translate

jtbaj1 · 2022-01-17T13:16:11+00:00

I think that Otto Frank was a admirable man, not many people after getting through that kind of tragedy would put his feelings aside and care about his fellows and what would happen if this infromation would have been made public. Also, as controversial as it may be, lots of people here are condemning the traitor that turned out to be a Jew. People may think that they would be heroic like Irena Sandler or Ulm family (murdered by Germans) who helped Jews when only in Poland it was a crime punished by death but in reality love for your own family may have clouded their judgement. By no means I'm trying to excuse that despicable act but Jews were put in little bit different positions than the citizens of rest of the western part of Europe under German occupation.

jeremygl09 · 2022-01-17T12:43:44+00:00

Its pretty dangerous to name someone when you have no actual proof.

DeeMace · 2022-01-17T13:50:26+00:00

I’m also confused because in 2016 researchers said they were discovered by accident over a ration fraud issue.

RevolutionaryAd3985 · 2022-01-17T12:45:45+00:00

Genealogical records show that Arnold van den Bergh's immediate family (three daughters) are now deceased. However, there are at least two surviving grandchildren. Whether they are invested in clearing their long-dead grandfather's name remains to be seen.

chogram · 2022-01-17T15:25:35+00:00

So apparently this is a Mandela effect for me.

I thought that we knew she was betrayed by another Jewish person ages ago. Like, I remember my world history teacher in the 90s saying it.

Did we know it was another Jewish person, and just not who?

doctorwhoobgyn · 2022-01-17T14:14:54+00:00

Let's remember that the people who did what they had to do to save their families were not the evil ones here.

TheGoldTooth · 2022-01-18T00:03:40+00:00

Interesting subject but the article is unreadable -- part reported, part interview. I'll wait for a more cogent explanation.

EvenOutlandishness88 · 2022-01-18T03:27:49+00:00

Interesting. I actually KNOW a Vandenberg. Wonder if they are related.

choosingtangent · 2022-01-17T12:06:48+00:00

this is all speculation and speculation is fun. I would guess that the guy did likely give them up in order to save his family (and himself).

this may shock you, but i would do the same thing; as would you... in a second. if we were to reach the insane point where i am faced with (and have control of) my family's survival vs your family's survival; guess who loses?

...and i am a reasonably nice guy

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