Who Betrayed Anne Frank?

Today, much is known about the Franks’ time in hiding. This is thanks to Anne’s diary, which was first published in 1947. Yet one aspect of her story has remained a mystery: How did authorities find out about the hiding place? Otto, who died in 1980, long suspected that one of his employees, Wilhelm van Maaren, had tipped off the police. Yet investigations by Dutch officials in 1948 and 1963 turned up nothing.

Now a new team of detectives, analysts, and historians is determined to crack the case. They are using modern technology, including 3-D models of the annex, artificial intelligence, and advanced computer software. The team hopes to figure out who, if anyone, betrayed the Franks’ whereabouts.

Vince Pankoke is a former FBI agent. He is in charge of the investigation. Pankoke says his goal is not to punish those involved (most of the suspects are now dead). He wants to finally solve the case and call attention to the atrocities of the Holocaust. The team hopes to reveal its findings on August 4, 2019. That will be exactly 75 years after the raid on the annex.

Deborah Lipstadt is a historian at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. “This is one of the greatest historical mysteries,” she says. “Anne’s story continues to touch so many people. We all want to find out what happened.”

Anne was 3 years old when Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933. At the time, the country was in desperate shape. Its defeat in World War I (1914-1918) and the economic crisis that followed left the nation degraded and poor.

Hitler gave Germans a scapegoat for all the country’s problems: Jews. He blamed them for the nation’s high unemployment rate and other issues. Once in power, he took advantage of widespread anti-Semitism to target the Jewish people. He stripped them of their rights. He did not let them work in certain jobs.

Before long, thousands of German Jews fled the country in a desperate attempt to escape the Nazis. That included the Franks. In 1934, Anne and her family settled in Amsterdam. They thought they would be safe here.

And at first, they were. But in 1940, less than a year after Hitler’s invasion of Poland sparked World War II (1939-1945), German forces occupied the Netherlands. The conflict eventually engulfed much of the world, pitting the Allies (led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union) against the Axis Powers (led by Germany, Italy, and Japan). 

As Hitler’s empire grew, hundreds of thousands of European Jews tried to flee to other countries, fearful that they would be deported to concentration camps. But many of them had nowhere to go. Several nations, including the U.S., had set quotas that limited the number of refugees they would accept. Anne and her family were trapped.

At first, they were. But in 1940, less than a year after Hitler’s invasion of Poland sparked World War II (1939-1945), German forces took control over the Netherlands. The conflict eventually involved much of the world. The Allies (led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union) were against the Axis Powers (led by Germany, Italy, and Japan).

As Hitler’s empire grew, hundreds of thousands of European Jews tried to flee to other countries. They were fearful that they would be deported to concentration camps. But many of them had nowhere to go. Several nations, including the U.S., had set quotas that limited the number of refugees they would accept. Anne and her family were trapped.

In July 1942, Otto decided that his family had no choice but to go into hiding. His business, which sold pectin, an ingredient in jam, was made up of offices and a warehouse. Behind that was a small building, called an annex, where the Franks hid. 

Soon after they moved in, they were joined by Otto’s business partner, Hermann van Pels; his wife, Auguste; and their 15-year-old son, Peter. Another Jewish man, Fritz Pfeffer, arrived a few months later. A few of Otto’s employees agreed to help them, risking their lives to provide food and other necessities. 

Despite the constant danger, Anne tried to remain optimistic. “It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality,” she wrote in her diary on July 15, 1944, less than three weeks before the raid on the annex. “It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.”

In July 1942, Otto decided that his family had no choice but to go into hiding. He sold pectin, an ingredient in jam, for a living. His business was made up of offices and a warehouse. Behind that warehouse was a small building, called an annex. The Franks hid there.

Soon after the Franks moved in, they were joined by Otto’s business partner, Hermann van Pels; his wife, Auguste; and their 15-year-old son, Peter. Another Jewish man, Fritz Pfeffer, arrived a few months later. A few of Otto’s employees agreed to help them. They risked their lives to provide food and other necessities.

Despite the constant danger, Anne tried to remain optimistic. “It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality,” she wrote in her diary on July 15, 1944. This was less than three weeks before the raid on the annex. “It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.”

After their arrest, Anne and the others in the annex were sent to Auschwitz in Poland. That was the most infamous concentration camp. Anne and her older sister, Margot, were eventually moved to Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp in Germany. Historians believe they died of a disease called typhus at that camp in February 1945. Just weeks later, the camp was liberated by British troops.

By the time Germany surrendered in May 1945, the Nazis had killed more than 6 million European Jews. That was two-thirds of the continent’s Jewish population. The Nazis also killed 5 million other people, including Poles, Roma, Communists, and the disabled. Many had been shot and thrown into mass graves or herded into gas chambers. Their bodies were then burned in crematoriums. Others died in the camps of starvation or disease. About 1 million of the victims were children.

Today, nearly 75 years after her death, Anne’s story continues to captivate the world. A few years ago, it caught the attention of Vince Pankoke, who was shocked to learn that the mystery surrounding the Franks’ arrest had never been solved. 

Over the years, potential suspects have included Van Maaren; a prominent Dutch Nazi named Tonny Ahlers; and a woman whose husband worked for Otto, Lena Hartog-van Bladeren. 

Pankoke says his team has started to analyze millions of pages of scanned documents, including police reports, witness statements, and lists of Nazi informants. Previous investigations had to analyze such documents by hand, but new computer software can process the same information in a fraction of the time.

Today, nearly 75 years after her death, Anne’s story continues to fascinate the world. A few years ago, it caught the attention of Vince Pankoke. He was shocked to learn that the mystery surrounding the Franks’ arrest had never been solved.

Over the years, possible suspects have included Van Maaren, a prominent Dutch Nazi named Tonny Ahlers, and a woman whose husband worked for Otto named Lena Hartog-van Bladeren.

Pankoke says his team has started to analyze millions of pages of scanned documents. That includes police reports, witness statements, and lists of Nazi informants. Previous investigations had to analyze such documents by hand. New computer software can process the same information in a fraction of the time.

The team also plans to construct a 3-D version of the annex and use computer models to figure out how far sounds could have traveled. They’re hoping to determine whether a neighbor or passerby could have heard the Franks and alerted the authorities. 

The investigators have also set up a tip line so people can submit information. They’ve already received hundreds of tips, including some from family members of past suspects and people who lived near the annex, and have begun to follow up on new leads.

Pankoke says he’s open to all possibilities, including that the Franks were discovered by chance, as some historians have speculated. A 2016 report by Dutch researchers suggested that the police may have stumbled on the Franks while at Otto’s business to investigate forged food-ration cards and other illegal activities, not to find Jews. 

Whatever the investigation turns up, Pankoke says it’s important to call attention to what happened to Anne—and the millions of other Jews murdered by the Nazis. 

“We owe it to the victims,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. We’re going to try to solve this.”

The team also plans to construct a 3-D version of the annex and use computer models to figure out how far sounds could have traveled. They are hoping to determine whether a neighbor or passerby could have heard the Franks and alerted the authorities.

The investigators have also set up a tip line so people can submit information. They have already received hundreds of tips, including some from family members of past suspects and from people who lived near the annex. The team has begun to follow up on new leads.

Pankoke says he is open to all possibilities, including that the Franks were discovered by chance. Some historians think that might have been the case. A 2016 report by Dutch researchers suggested that the police may have stumbled on the Franks while at Otto’s business to investigate forged food-ration cards and other illegal activities, not to find Jews.

Whatever the investigation turns up, Pankoke says it is important to call attention to what happened to Anne and the millions of other Jews murdered by the Nazis.

“We owe it to the victims,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. We’re going to try to solve this.”