Piece of the Anne Frank Tree that was mentioned in her Diary
I have one of 3 pieces of this tree. One piece is mentioned in a newspaper story that talks about the sale price. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE67M1DH There are only 2 other pieces that survive. The piece I have 12" x 8" x 6" and another that the person that witnessed the collection and signed the Certificate of Authentication has. I would like to donate the piece to a museum but need an appraisal to do so. Please ask for any other information you may need.
The tree fell between 2 buildings in Amsterdam. I had an appointment in the building it fell next too early the morning after it fell during the night. When I arrived at the site, I had to squeeze between a fence the city had erected between the building and the area around the tree. The tree had already been cut into pieces and they were bringing in a chipper to destroy the remains. City workers were standing around the cut wood and the chipper waiting for the supervisors to arrive. I asked one of them if this was the Anne Frank Tree and he said it was. I asked if I could have a piece and he said sure. I picked out a nice looking piece and took it into the building where I had my appointment - it was the same building that houses the Anne Frank House and museum but at the rear. I came out of my appointment with the piece of the tree in a bag and was immediately yelled at and chased away from the area by the police. They had secured the area so the tree could be removed and buried at a secret site so people wouldn't try to dig it up. The person I had my appointment with witnessed the collection when I went into my appointment and signed the Certificate of Authentication. She followed my out to the site so we could figure out what was going on. It has been under my control or in a museum ever since.
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Dear Daryl,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
The presented object appears to be a piece of wood from a chestnut three and this piece has the measurements of 12" x 8" x 6". Regarding the information given by the customer, this is a piece of the famous Anne Frank Tree in Amsterdam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_tree). Strictly speaking, this tree was in the property of the Dutch state or respectively the Anne Frank House. Because of this unclear provenance, this piece has no value on the art market and just sentimental value.
Pieces of this tree were sold on eBay around 700 USD. One of the pieces was sold for 10.000 USD. (https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_tree_saved_from_being_chopped_down).
With kind regards,
Georg
Dear Daryl,
You are welcome and thank you for the hint.
With kind regards,
Georg
I also take an opposition to the issue of provenance. I did not go into the place and steal a piece of the tree. I had a legitimate reason to be there and asked for the piece from a city worker/representative and was told I could have it before it was destroyed by the chipper which was already there. It was asked for and given freely by the person in control of the item. In my mind, it is like a library employee removing books from their shelves and throwing them into a device to destroy them and I ask for one before it is destroyed and given permission to take it. I just think your stance is a bit too conservative.
Thank you,
Daryl Adams, Ph.D.
Dear Daryl,
I understand your point of view and I am the same opinion that it is the better decision to save such a piece of a historically important tree instead of destroying it. Sadly when it turns out that such an object with a memorial aspect have a market value city administrations react surprisingly retroactive different when they recognize that they undervalued these objects. I work in an auction house we get offered regularly comparable pieces with an unclear question of possession. This stance is sadly for your point of view the only way to handle such objects in a legal certainty way.
With kind regards,
Georg
Thank you for the information. The piece of the tree that sold in Amsterdam was for 10 million Euros. What was sold on Ebay was a chestnut from the tree not a piece of the tree.
Thanks,
Daryl