Arnold van den Bergh

Arnold van den Bergh (20 January 1886 ‒ 28 October 1950)[2] was a Dutch legal notary based in Amsterdam. He was a well-known and high-profile lawyer, one of six Jewish notaries operating in Amsterdam.[3] Van den Bergh contributed to the field of social work in the Netherlands, and was widely known in Amsterdam outside of the Jewish community.[4]

In this Dutch name, the surname is Van den Bergh.
Arnold van den Bergh
Van den Bergh in December 1947
Born(1886-01-20)20 January 1886
Oss, Netherlands
Died28 October 1950(1950-10-28) (aged 64)
London, England
Resting placeMuiderberg[1]
OccupationLegal notary
Years active1920–1950
Board member of
  • de Joodse Invalide
  • Joods Maatschappelijk Werk
  • Joodse Raad
  • Nederlands Israëlietisch Armenbestuur
  • Nederlands Israelietische Instelling voor Sociale Arbeid (N.I.I.S.A.)
SpouseAuguste Zus Kan (married 1920‒)
Children3

In 1886, Van den Bergh was born in the locality of Oss. By 1922, Van den Bergh was already working as a junior notary and living in Amsterdam.[5]

During the era of occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, Van den Bergh was a member of the Jewish Council of Amsterdam (Joodse Raad, or Judenrat, of Amsterdam).[6] The Judenrat was a council of Jewish citizens appointed by occupying Nazi Germany in an area with a large Jewish population, with members typically coerced (often with threats of violence against family members) into collaborating with the Nazi regime.

In 1935, Arnold van den Bergh auctioned the listed "Huis aan de Drie Grachten" ("House on three canals") building[7]—used from 1936 onwards for August Aimé Balkema's bookshop. As of 1937, Van den Bergh was chair of the committee for the House of unemployed young Jewish, in Amsterdam.[8] At the start of 1939, Van den Bergh handled the auction of Stadhouderskade 136.[9] In April 1939 the company offices relocated to Westeinde 24 in Amsterdam.[10]

In July 1940, he was the lawyer handling the sale of the Jacques Goudstikker art-collection to art dealer Alois Miedl for the benefit of Hermann Göring.[11] Van den Bergh subsequently wrote to Goudstikker's wife, Dési von Halban, informing her the sale had occurred "in order to avoid great unpleasantness".[11] In October 1940 Van den Bergh was appointed as liquidator of the former Oude Goudstikker company,[12] and indicated that the transactions had been made voluntarily.[12] As Nazi plunder, part of the collection would subsequently be returned by the Dutch government in the 2006 Goudstikker restitution of 202 paintings following recommendations of the Restitutions Committee.[13]

The family of five lived at Oranje Nassaulaan 60hs.[14] The Van den Bergh family eventually lost their safe status and became eligible for arrest and deportation. A conversation at the decision-making body (Entscheidungsstelle) between Hans Georg Calmeyer and Ferdinand aus der Fünten was heard by Jaap van Proosdij, who passed the information to Arnold van den Bergh, enabling the Van den Bergh family to go into hiding.[15] In around October 1943 Arnold van den Bergh and his wife Auguste Kan went into hiding in Laren, their older twin daughters Emma and Esther to Noord-Scharwoude, and the third-daughter Anne-Marie to Sprundel (with some months spent in Breda).[16][17]

Keizersgracht 634, used for Van den Bergh's company offices after the end of World War II

Following the end of World War II, Van den Bergh restarted a notary firm with offices at Keizersgracht 634.[18] On 28 November 1946, Van den Bergh was one of the founding board members of the Dutch Jewish Social Work organisation (JMW).[19] Other founding members included Salomon Kleerekoper and Jacob van Amerongen.[19] Arnold van den Bergh was one of five members called before the Jewish Honour Council.[20] On 10 June 1948 Van den Bergh was displaced on the board of JMW by a vote.[19]

He died of throat cancer in 1950 while in London.[21]

A study published as a book in 2022 suggested that Van den Bergh may have indirectly betrayed those living in the secret annex (Achterhuis) of the Anne Frank House, inhabited by Anne Frank and others, in order to save his own family.[6] According to the book, Van den Bergh in his capacity as a member of the Jewish Council of Amsterdam would have had a list of Jews hiding in Amsterdam and could have turned over the list to the occupying Nazis in order to save his family. However, Professor Johannes Houwink ten Cate of the University of Amsterdam noted that Van den Bergh was also in hiding around the time of the raid on 4 August 1944.[22] The conclusion was subsequently challenged on the basis that The Jewish Council of Amsterdam had no lists of hiding Jews. His family members threatened a lawsuit and started a foundation. The publishing house apologized and took the book out of circulation.[23]

References
  1. "Begrafenis van Notaris A. van den Bergh z.g." [Funeral of Notary A. van den Bergh]. Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 81, no. 48. 1950-11-10. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  2. "Notaris Van den Bergh in London overleden" [Notary Van den Bergh passed away in London]. Het Parool (in Dutch). 1950-10-31. p. 5. Zaterdag 28 October [1950] overleed te London de Amsterdamse notaris Arnold van den Bergh. … De heer Van den Bergh werd op 20 Januari 1886 te Oss geboren [The Amsterdam-based Notary Arnold van den Bergh died in London on Saturday 28 October [1950]. … Mr. Van den Bergh was born on 20 January 1886 in Oss]
  3. Boffey, Daniel (2022-01-17). "Anne Frank may have been betrayed by Jewish notary". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-01-17. author of the new book, Sullivan, said: "Van den Bergh was a well-known notary, one of six Jewish notaries in Amsterdam at the time. A notary in the Netherlands is more like a very high-profile lawyer. …"
  4. "Notary A. van den Bergh overleden" [Notaris A. van den Bergh passed away]. Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (in Dutch). Vol. 81, no. 47. 1950-11-03. p. 1. … De heer A. van den Bergh was jarenlang een bekende persoonlijkheid in Amsterdam en dat niet alleen in Joodse kringen. Vooral het sociale werk had zijn grote liefde en belangstelling, maar zijn bescheidenheid was de oorzaak, dat hij zich nooit op de voorgrond drong. Dat neemt niet weg dat hij op zijn gebied veel werk heeft verzet en zeer velen tot steun is geweest. [… The gentleman A. van den Bergh was a well-known personality in Amsterdam for many years and not only in Jewish circles. Social work in particular was his great love and interest, but his modesty was the reason that he never pushed himself to the fore. That does not alter the fact that he has done a lot of work in his field and has been of great support to many.]
  5. "Akten Betreffende Naamlooze Vennootschappen en de Daarbij Behoorende Besluiten van Bewilliging" [Deeds Concerning Public Limited Companies and the Associated Decrees of Consent]. Nederlandsche staats-courant (Amendment) (2). 1922. De comparanten zijn nan mijj, notaris, bekend. … Verleden te Amsterdam, op den datum in het hoofd dezer akte vermeld, in tegenwoordigheid van de heeren Arnold van den Bergh, candidant-notaris, en Wiebe Pieter Oosterhof, kantoorbediende. beiden wonende te Amsterdam, als getuigen. [The persons appearing as notaries are known to me. … Made in Amsterdam, on the date stated in the head of this deed, in the presence of Messrs. Arnold van den Bergh, junior civil-law notary, and Wiebe Pieter Oosterhof, clerk. both living in Amsterdam, as witnesses.]
  6. "Anne Frank betrayal suspect identified after 77 years". BBC News. 2022-01-17. Retrieved 2022-01-18. A team including an ex-FBI agent said Arnold van den Bergh, a Jewish figure in Amsterdam, probably "gave up" the Franks to save his own family. … van den Bergh had been a member of Amsterdam's Jewish Council
  7. ""Het huis aan de drie grachten" geveild" ["The house on the three canals" auctioned.]. De Gooi- en Eemlander (in Dutch). 1935-10-15. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-01-24. „Het huis aan de drie grachten" is gistermiddag in het gebouw Frascati door notaris Arnold van den Bergh geveild. Het werd verkocht aan het makelaarskantoor H. v. Dam Azn. en Zonen voor ƒ.23.500.—* … het huis voorkomt op de monumentenlijst van Amsterdam.
  8. "Poeriemfeest in het Tehuis voor jeugdige Joodsche werkloozen" [Purim celebration in the House for unemployed young Jewish]. Stadsnieuws. Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad. 1937-03-05. p. 3. Notaris Arnold van den Bergh heette in zijn kwaliteit van voorzitter van het Comité allen aanwezigen hartelijk welkom en sprak de hoop uit, dat de ingeschrevenen in het a.s. jaar een werkkring mogen hebben gevonden. [Notary Arnold van den Bergh, in his capacity as chairman of the committee, welcomed all present and expressed the hope that those registered may have found employment in the coming year.]
  9. "Vrijwillige Verkooping" [Voluntary Sale]. Algemeen Handelsblad (in Dutch). 1939-01-13. Retrieved 2022-01-24. … zullen op Maandag 16 Januari 1939, des avonds na zes uur, (in het Verkooplokaal „Frascati", ten overstaan van den Notaris Arnold van den Bergh, in veiling brengen: Het Huis met Vrij Bovenhuis, Tuin en Erve, aan de Stadhouderskade 136 [auction on Monday 16 January 1939, in the evening at six o'clock, (in the auction house "Frascati", in front of Notary Arnold van den Bergh: The House with Free Upper House, Garden and Land, at the Stadhouderskade 136]
  10. "Het kantoor van de Notarissen Arn. van den Bergh" [The Notary offices of Arn. van den Bergh and E. Spier]. Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (in Dutch). 1939-04-21. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-01-25. … is Verplaatst naar Westeinde 24 … De privé-telefoonnummers blijven resp. 23097 (Van den Bergh) en 29552 (Spier). […has moved to Westeinde 24 … The private telephone numbers remain respectively 23097 (Van den Bergh) and 29552 (Spier)]
  11. Research and Analysis Branch (1945-06-25). An illustration of Goering's transactions in Holland. An interim Report on the Art Activities of Hermann Goering (Report). Herman Goering as a War Criminal. Office of Strategic Services. Retrieved 2022-01-18 – via Cornell University Library. Goering's principal agent in Holland appears to have been Alois MIEDL, an old school friend of the marshall … In 1940 … represented himself as Goering's agent, … acquired the firm of J. GOUDSTIKKER of Amsterdam … An extract from a letter of van der Bergh of July 26, 1940 to Mme. Goudstikker stating "… The circumstances (of the sale) which can be discussed fully only at a later date, made it necessary to sell the business in order to avoid great unpleasantness..." … Correspondence … between A. v.d. Bergh, attorney for the late Jacques GOUDSTIKKER, and Mrs. GOUDSTIKKER, … indicates that the sale might have been made under duress.
  12. Restitutions Committee (2006-02-10). "Oprichting Kunsthandel voorheen J. Goudstikker N.V." [Establishment of art dealership formerly J. Goudstikker N.V.] (PDF). 1940: Verkoop J. Goudstikker N.V. Aan Miedl en Göring [1940: Sale of J. Goudstikker N.V. to Miedl and Göring.] (Parliamentary dossier). Rapportage Restitutiecommissie (in Dutch). States General of the Netherlands. 25839 (38): 11, 14. Retrieved 2022-01-19. Ruim twee weken later, op 2 oktober 1940, trad Oude Goudstikker in liquidatie. Tot vereffenaars werden benoemd A.A. ten Broek en notaris A. van den Bergh. … De personen die in 1940 bij de transacties met Miedl en Göring betrokken waren (waaronder notaris A. van den Bergh, Ten Broek en Dik sr.) gaven echter te kennen dat de transacties 'zonder dwang' tot stand gekomen waren. [Two weeks later on 2 October 1940, Oude Goudstikker entered liquidation. The appointed liquidators were A.A. ten Broek and notary A. van den Bergh. … The people involved in the transactions with Miedl and Göring in 1940 (including notary A. van den Bergh, ten Broek, and Dik (senior)) indicated that the transactions had been undertaken 'without duress'.]
  13. Davids, W.J.M. [in Dutch]; Bank, J.T.M.; Herrmann, R.; van Os, P.J.N.; van Straaten, E.J.; van der Vlies, I.C. [in Dutch]; Restitutions Committee (2013). Report (PDF) (Report). Advisory Committee on the Assessment of Restitution Applications for Items of Cultural Value and the Second World War. The Hague: ICOM International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods. pp. 56, 57, 63. The Committee investigated the facts as a result of the request for advice. This included making use of the information and results of the investigation in the Goudstikker case (RC 1.15), in which the State Secretary for OCW decided on 6 February 2006 to restitute 202 works of art. … After this there were various further business contacts between Koenigs and Miedl. On 14 September 1940, in the presence of the notary A. van den Bergh in Amsterdam, the firm of 'Kunsthandel voorheen J. Goudstikker N.V.' was founded.
  14. "Oranje Nassaulaan". Joodsamsterdam [Jewish Amsterdam] (in Dutch). Stichting Heimisj. Retrieved 2022-01-25. Oranje Nassaulaan 60hs … Op dit adres woonde notaris Arnold van den Bergh (Oss, 20 januari 1886 – Chelsea, 28 oktober 1950) en zijn echtgenote Auguste Kan (Oldenzaal, 5 mei 1899 – Amsterdam, 15 oktober 1968) met hun kinderen Emma, Esther (Hetty) en Anne-Marie [Orange Nassaulaan 60hs … Notary Arnold van den Bergh (Oss, 20 January 1886 – Chelsea, 28 October 1950) and his wife Auguste Kan (Oldenzaal, 5 May 1899 – Amsterdam, 15 October 1968) lived at this address with their children Emma, Esther (Hetty) and Anne-Marie]
  15. van den Boomgaard, C.P. (2019-04-03). Houwink ten Cate, J.Th.M.; Ultee, W.C. (eds.). 13: Verzoekers en hun hulpverleners [13: Applicants and their helpers] (PDF). Voor de nazi's geen Jood: Hoe ruim 2500 Joden door ontduiking van rassenvoorschriften aan de deportaties zijn ontkomen [Refusing to be Jewish for the Nazis: How more than 2500 Jews were able to escape deportation by evading racial regulations] (PhD) (in Dutch). Amsterdam School of Historical Studies. pp. 250, 275, 276, 280, 292. hdl:11245.1/795af2f7-5159-4ed4-a831-c296a14331b3. Retrieved 2022-01-20 – via University of Amsterdam Digital Academic Repository (UvA-DARE). In het geval van de Amsterdamse Joodse notaris mr. A. van den Bergh was het Van Proosdij zelf die op het kantoor van de Entscheidungsstelle Calmeyer met Aus der Fünten had horen spreken over de ophanden zijnde arrestatie van de familie Van den Bergh. Van den Bergh kon hierdoor op tijd onderduiken en zou de oorlog samen met zijn familie overleven. [In the case of the Amsterdam Jewish notary Mr. A. van den Bergh it was Van Proosdij himself who had heard Calmeyer speak at the office of the Entscheidungsstelle ["decision making body"] with Aus der Fünten about the imminent arrest of the Van den Bergh family. As a result, Van den Bergh was able to go into hiding in time and would survive the war together with his family.]
  16. Theelen, Paul (2014-04-30), "Onderduikster Anne-Marie van den Bergh in Sprundel" [Anne-Marie van den Bergh in-hiding in Sprundel], Naspeuringen naar Bastiaensen-van Osta [Investigations into Bastiaensen-van Osta] (in Dutch), Eindhoven, p. 12, oktober 1943: … het gezin van den Bergh had gewaarschuwd dat ze zeer binnenkort zouden worden opgepakt. Het gezin is toen via de achtertuinen gevlucht naar de achterliggende straat. Van daaruit is Anne-Marie naar Sprundel gebracht, de tweeling en de ouders gescheiden naar elders, de ouders naar Laren en de tweeling naar Noord Schaarwoude. … Onderduikperiode … van ongeveer juli of augustus tot en met oktober 1944 verbleef ze in Breda, bij de familie Sadée. [October 1943: … the van den Bergh family had been warned that they would be arrested very soon. The family then fled through the backyards to the street behind. From there Anne-Marie was taken to Sprundel, the twins, and the parents were split up elsewhere, the parents to Laren and the twins to Noord-Scharwoude. … Time in-hiding … from July or August to October 1944 she also stayed in Breda, with the Sadée family.]
  17. Hart von Sprundel (2019-10-16). "Vraag 5: Joods meisje duikt onder in Sprundel" [Question 5: Jewish girl goes into hiding in Sprundel] (PDF). Sprundel 75 jaar bevrijd [Sprundel liberated for 75 years] (in Dutch). Ondernemers Vereinigung Sprundel. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-01-25. de 14 jarige Anne-Marie van den Bergh uit Amsterdam. In oktober 1943 vond Anne Marie een veilige schuilplaats bij familie Bastiaensen-van Osta en hun drie kinderen. Leo Bastianensen … war hoofd van de St. Janschool (jongensschool) in de St. Janstraat te Sprundel. [the 14-year-old Anne-Marie van den Bergh from Amsterdam. In October 1943 Anne Marie found safe shelter with the Bastiaensen-van Osta family and their three children. Leo Bastianensen … was head of the St. Janschool (Boys' school) in the St. Janstraat in Sprundel.]
  18. "Notaris Arnold van den Bergh". De nieuwe dag (in Dutch). 1945-06-06. Retrieved 2022-01-24. Notaris Arnold van den Bergh, bewaarder der minuten van notaris E. Spier, van den eervol ontslagen notaris Jhr. P.P. van Nispen en van wiljlen de notarissen H.J. van Doorn en J.D. Vriesendorp, deelt mede, dat hij de practijk heeft hervat. Het kantoor is tijdelijk gevestigd Keizersgracht 634 te Amsterdam.
  19. Staal, Philip (2015-01-09). "One hand washes the other". Settling the Account. Translated by Rollins, Scott. iUniverse. p. 213. ISBN 9781491751664. Retrieved 2022-01-18 – via Google Books. "on November 28, 1946, the deed of formation of Jewish Social Work (JMW) was signed. The provisional board consisted of Dr. Salomon Kleerekoper, Drs. Jacob van Amerongen and Maurits Lopes Cardozo, notary Arnold van den Bergh, Alexander Roozendall, Mozes Acohen, Dr. Albert Büchenbacher, and Levie Levisson.
  20. Finder, Gabriel N.; Jockusch, Laura, eds. (2015-06-15). Jewish Honor Courts:Revenge, Retribution, and Reconciliation in Europe and Israel After the Holocaust. Wayne State University Press. p. 134. ISBN 9780814338780. Retrieved 2022-01-18 – via Google Books. The five regular members called before the Jewish Honor Court were the notary Arnold van den Bergh (1886‒1950), the lawyer (and defense lawyer of David Cohen) Albert Berend Gomperts (1883‒1963), the Jewish council director of finance Abraham Krouwer (1883‒?), the lawyer Siegfried Jacob van Lier (1877‒1976), and the diamond trader Abraham Soep (1882‒1953)
  21. Voet, Esther (2022-01-22). "Wie was Arnold van den Bergh?" [Who was Arnold van den Bergh?]. Een flinterdunne beschuldiging [A wafer-thin accusation]. Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-01-22. Hij zat in veel Joodse besturen, zoals het Nederlands Israëlietisch Armenbestuur. In 1941 werd hij lid van de Joodse Raad. … Na de oorlog zette … Hij was voorzitter van de Joodse Invalide en een van de oprichters van het Joods Maatschappelijk Werk. … Hij werd aangeklaagd door de interne Joodse Ereraad voor zijn lidmaatschap van de Joodse Raad, … waarop hij met de andere nog levende leden van de Raad werd veroordeeld tot vijf jaar uitsluiting van Joodse functies. Dat vonnis werd al snel ingetrokken, … overleed in 1950 aan keelkanker. [He sat on many Jewish organisational boards, such as the Dutch Israelite Poor Board. In 1941 he became a member of the Jewish Council. ... After the war ... He was chairman of the Jewish Invalide hospital and one of the founders of the Jewish Social Work organisation. ... He was indicted by an internal Jewish Honour Court for his membership of the Jewish Council, ... whereupon he and the other surviving members of the Council were sentenced to five years of exclusion from Jewish positions. That sentence was soon withdrawn, ... died in 1950 of throat cancer.]
  22. Lebovic, Matt (2022-01-20). "Historians bash 'rubbish' findings of investigation into Anne Frank betrayal". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2022-01-22. [Professor] Johannes Houwink ten Cate … professor emeritus of Holocaust studies at the University of Amsterdam … According to the scholar, Van den Bergh was in hiding throughout most of 1944, including during the raid on the secret annex in early August [1944]
  23. Beukers, Gijs. "Hoe 'Het verraad van Anne Frank' tot stand kwam, een explosieve conclusie trok en uit de handel werd gehaald". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 August 2022.

Further reading
  • Den Hollander, Pieter (2013). Roofkunst: de zaak Goudstikker [Robbery: the Goudstikker case] (in Dutch). Singel Uitgeverijen. ISBN 9789462250390. Goudstikker en de notaris Van den Bergh benoemd tot directeur van de NV Goudstikker. [… Goudstikker and the civil-law notary Van den Bergh as director of NV Goudstikker.]
  • "Arnold van den Bergh". Joodsamsterdam [Jewish Amsterdam] (in Dutch). Stichting Heimisj. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  • "Groepsfoto jubileum" [Jubilee group photograph]. Joods Monument [Jewish Monument] (in Dutch). 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2022-01-25. Jubileumfoto tgv hun 25-jarig lidmaatschap van het Nederlandsch-Israëlietisch Armbestuur (NIW 12 mei 1939) [Jubilee photograph on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the membership of the Dutch-Israelite Poor Board (NIW 12 May 1939)]
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