Press release 27-04-2012

On 23rd of August 2010  the Anne Frank Tree and the structure that was built in 2008 to support the tree were blown down. Cause and effect were the subject of court proceedings at the Amsterdam District Court between the Foundation and Van der Leij Construction BV. On the 4th of April, the District Court judgment was passed. Summary of the judgment: (1) because of the time passed no judgment was possible about the cause of the collapse, (2) the board of the Foundation and also its individual members are by no means to be blame for carelessness, (3) pending charges of the building construction from 2008 required from the Foundation needn't  be paid, and (4) the Foundation must pay the costs of an extra amount of clearance and storage as requested by van der Leij Construction Ltd.

The Foundation had a meeting with her sponsor, Generali Insurance Maatschappij NV, Diemen about the financial implications of this court decision. In this meeting the insurance Generali agreed  to take over all costs of clearance and storage as a sponsor. Meanwhile this amount has been paid by Generali Insurance to the Van der Leij Construction Ltd. Therefore the Foundation is very grateful to her sponsor. As a result of this payment Van der Leij Construction BV has stopped the judicial procedure towards the Foundation and its individual directors.

The Foundation is delighted with this result and will soon speak with the World Tree Foundation, who is ready take care of the "2nd life" of the Anne Frank tree. Afterwards the the Foundation will stop its activities.

The Foundation endorses the words of Mr. Pomes, owner of the tree: "If the District center of Amsterdam had cut down the tree in 2007 we wouldn't  have a tree now. What with the tree being blown down in 2010 we now have the tree in its "2nd life" which retains its symbolic function, and in about 40 years we will have the tree back in its full size. "

Prof. dr. Helga Fassbinder, Chair 
Amsterdam 27-04-2012

 

Monument unveiled in Jerusalem in memory of Anne Frank

The monument has been placed in the Anne Frank Memorial Park in Jerusalem. It was designed by Peter Cohen who as a child was also in hiding during the war. 

The monument consists of a frame of rusted steel with a solid wall and a stylized chestnut tree. The image of the tree refers to the chestnut tree that Anne Frank could see through the skylight of her hiding place. Anne Frank wrote about the chestnut tree in her diary .

Picture source JNF

 

Press Release 20-04-2011

The foundation Support Anne Frank Tree (SAFT) is involved in a business dispute with a former board member and contractor Mr. R. Van der Leij of  the building company Van der Leij Bouwbedrijven B.V. dealing with the amount due in connection with the collapse of the support construction for the Anne Frank tree and the tree itself. Van der Leij Bouwbedrijven B.V. has begun a court case against SAFT and its’ board members. SAFT has faith in the results of this case and is surprised by the initiatives that have developed in order to help SAFT reach a positive outcome.
 
Prof. dr. Helga Fassbinder, Chair
Amsterdam 20-04-2011