Anne Frank Possibly Not Betrayed but Captured by Chance

The Diary of A Young Girl has since been translated into over sixty different languages. The latest revelation that the family were not betrayed is likely to be a controversial one. For many years the story of the Frank family has been considered a symbol of Dutch bravery and defiance in the Second World War, but also of collaboration. Many studies have previously tried to solve the mystery of who actually reported the family. Carried out by the Anne Frank House, the new study published last Friday sought to find out what led the authorities to the hiding place of the Frank family. “The question has always been: Who betrayed Anne Frank and the others in hiding? This explicit focus on betrayal, however, limits the perspective on the arrest,” reads the five page summary of the study. As well as examining details of the arrest itself, the new study is the first to also look at Anne Frank’s Diary as a source to gain an insight into what drew the authorities to the address at Prinsengracht 263. The researchers found that there was a lot happening at the house that could have attracted the attention of Nazi authorities. “This new study reveals that there was more going on at 263 Prinsengracht than just people being hidden in the Secret Annexe. Illegal work and fraud with ration coupons was also taking place.” they write in the summary. “…it is possible that the SD searched the building because of this illegal work and fraud with ration coupons, and that the SD investigators discovered Anne Frank and the seven others in hiding simply by chance.” Two men in the building dealt illegal ration cards, and had been arrested earlier in 1944, a fact actually mentioned in Anne’s Diary. The study explains: “During their day-to-day activities, investigators from this department often came across Jews in hiding by chance.” As the authors of the study admit, their findings don’t completely refute the idea that the eight Jews hiding in the Annexe were betrayed. The study does however, show that the details of their capture are yet to be fully explained, that the popular telling of the story might be too simple. More information about the study can be found here ]]>