Betrayal of a Young Girl

Betrayal of a Young Girl

Suzanne Marsh

The papers sitting on Nana's kitchen table spoke a mute testimony to a terrible eighty four year old family secret. Momma, tears welling in her eyes, took a deep breath and began:

“Anne, as you know, Nana survived World War II, she lived in Amsterdam, Holland. It was

only after you were born, did we move here to Amsterdam, New York. Nana, had a very

specific reason for leaving Holland. Today, I am going to tell you the reason, but you must

never repeat it to anyone, not only for your sake but for Nana and our entire family. At the

time I had no idea what those papers were, then just before she passed away she told me to

read them.”

I could feel how tense Momma was, she was beginning to cry once again, she shook herself:

“Those papers Anne, those are receipts for eight Jews, read the names.”

My eyes grew wide as I saw the top receipt, everything was in German, I had taken German for three years so it wasn't any real problem I read the names out loud:

“Annelies Marie Frank, Margot Frank, Edith Frank, Otto Frank, Hermman Van Pels, Auguste

Van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer.”

My head began to reel, Nana had turned them in. I suddenly blurted out: “why?”

Momma, sat quietly for several moments, then once again began her narrative:

“Nana was hired by Mr. Frank, she was a cleaning woman for Opekta, the spice company.

Nana said she became suspicious after papa came home one day told her about a noise he

thought he heard. She became more suspicious as time went on. There were small items

like pens or pencils that would disappear from desks. The rumor as you know, was that the

Franks had escaped to Switzerland. Apparently that was not the case, I know you have

read the diary. Nana decided to corner Miep and ask her about the missing pens and pencils

Miep told her to mind her own business and return to work. Which was what Nana did. Miep

must have gone to Mr. Frank about the confrontation she had with Nana. You must understand

that they were protecting Mr. Frank and his family. Should they be found out Mr. Frank and his

family would end up in one of the concentration camps along with their helpers. Nana knew

this and for a long time made no more comments. She would occasionally see something out of

place but still she said nothing.

Time passed by. The Nazis were all over Amsterdam, the Gestapo were as Nana put it

like weasels ferreting out information on Jews and the resistance. Nana, saw what happened

to people in the resistance, her friend Sussane Van Rotegen, was hung from a lamp post outside

of her home, two doors down from Nana's. Stories about the concentration camps were being

whispered behind closed door. Everyone lived in fear of the SS.

Before I continue Anne, there is another small secret your name is not Anne, it is

Annelies Marie Hotog, when Nana came to see you in the hospital, she said you reminded her

of a girl in Holland she had met. She liked the name, I had no idea that she wanted to name you

that because she was the one responsible for turning in the Franks.

This whole story is a tragedy especially since, we can never divulge that Nana was the one who

turned in the eight Jews. It would be a horror story for our family.

Nana, once again went to Miep who, quietly told Nana she would take care of the

situation. She did just that, she went to Mr. Frank, who was reluctant to fire anyone. The fear

of being arrested; always in his mind. One can not blame the Mr. Frank. Miep was just as

concerned. Nana went about her job as she always did. Mr. Kugler, called her into his office,

to tell her she was fired. Nana cried as she heard the news. She and papa needed both their

income to live.The Nazis were rounding up Jews all over Holland. We can simply not

understand their determination and the Dutch not wishing to be told what to do with their damn

Jews. That was toward the end of December 1943. Nana, could not find another job, that

paid as well as Opekta. Papa was still working there. He would sometimes tell her about

sounds that he thought he heard. One night, he returned to work after everyone had left. He

thought he heard sounds up above the spice shop. Nana, told him she thought it was time to

turn the Jews in for thirty guilders a head. Papa, told her no, if anyone suspected that Jews

were there Opekta would be closed down. They would both be out of a job. No, he insisted she

keep her mouth shut. Nana agreed at least for the moment.

Life continued for everyone except the Jews and resistance fighters. Nana, knew more

than one resistance fighter, she would never give up their names. I was born as you know

Anne on December 31^st, 1943. Nana was becoming desperate, food was scarce. She could

only obtain certain things for me including formula that had several things in it other than milk.

Once again, she and papa talked about turning in the Jews, and papa still refused. His reasoning

was that if the place were raided and closed down, there would be no money coming in. They

would be even more desperate than they already were.

Nana was becoming very angry with papa. She worried constantly about me not having enough

to eat. Rations were becoming harder and harder to get.

She knew that the price per head for the Jews was now up to 40 guilders, that was a

great deal of money. Judas money was what papa called it afterward. That is after he found out

what she had done.

Nana, one morning after hearing me cry in hunger, went to the closest phone booth. She

called Gestapo headquarters on Eckerpestraat 99. She informed them of the Jews located at

263 Prinsengracht. She spoke softly into the phone: “there are eight Jews there.”

She gave her name. At approximately nine o'clock on the evening of August 4^th, 1944 a man

dressed in a black leather coat, with an SS insignia on his hat arrived. He handed Nana

320 guilders and a receipt for eight Jews.

Papa was home at the time. He was furious with her. Nana calmly explained that she

she need the money to buy formula for me. He never forgave her. They lost their home,

they became destitute. Three hundred and twenty guilders does not last very long.

Nana told papa she wanted to relocate to the United States, where they could start over.

Nana and papa remained married. She became lost in herself Annelies. Each day when she

would see you she would think about the horrible thing that she did in betraying the young

girl with the beautiful name, that girl was Annelies Marie Frank.”