International projects of this size also need legal counsel. For legal advice we initially turned to Job Hengeveld of Hengeveld Advocaten and Philip van Wijnen. Eventually we were supported by the international law firm Bird & Bird and would especially like to thank Jeroen van der Lee, Jochem Apon, and Olaf Trojan. All of them did excellent work for us. We would also like to thank independent adviser Martin Senftleben of the University of Amsterdam for his excellent advice.
We owe great gratitude to several external advisers who guided us on our long and arduous journey: Edward Asscher, Boris Dittrich, Harry Dolman, Nelleke Geel, Dries van Ingen, Willem van der Knaap, Margreet Nanning, Kate Pankoke, Bert Wiggers, and many others. And then there are the esteemed members of our advisory board, who guided us through some of the more sensitive matters we encountered; we would like to express our gratitude to Roger van Boxtel, Job Cohen （chairman）， and Michiel Westermann. Their advice was invaluable, but they should bear no responsibility with regard to our conclusions.
Finally, a project of this magnitude is not possible without people who tirelessly take care of business and logistics. Two people in particular helped make this project happen: our project manager, Jean Hellwig, and our executive assistant, Wieke van der Kley. We also owe much gratitude to our production manager, Mardou Jacobs, and our financial controller, Ali Banyahia; our two wonderful interns, Jason Akkerman and Daniel Osterwald; and Stan Schram, who found our office.
Amsterdam, December 4, 2020
Thijs Bayens
Pieter van Twisk
Luc Gerrits
It’s been a privilege to work on this project, and for that I thank Thijs Bayens, Pieter van Twisk, and Vince Pankoke. Thijs provided inspiration, Pieter provided precision, and Vince provided knowledge and moral support. They made my initial stay in Amsterdam immensely fruitful and, after COVID 19 attacked the world, patiently answered my Zoom calls and my thousands of emails. I would like to thank Brendan Rook for his professionalism, which helped sharpen my own angle of vision, and Monique Koemans for her warmth and expertise as she invited me to join her research sessions. Jean Hellwig, the project manager, was most generous with his time in solving all the logistical problems that came up. I would also like to thank the young researchers I worked with, including Circe de Bruin, Christine Hoste, Anna Foulidis, Linda Leestemaker, and Wieke van der Kley, all of whom facilitated my various visits to the archives, including the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Amsterdam City Archives; to museums such as the National Holocaust Museum and the Resistance Museum; and especially road trips to the Memorial Center Camp Westerbork and The Hague. I would like to thank the Amsterdam Writers’ Residency of the Nederlands Letterenfonds for providing me with a wonderful apartment in the heart of Amsterdam in which to pursue my work.
I would like to acknowledge my sister Colleen Sullivan, who read my manuscript in its early drafts and offered vital encouragement; Karen Mulhallen, whose support and advice through the long process of writing were invaluable; Plum Johnson, who listened to my deliberations; and Mary Germaine, who was always there in a computer emergency.
I would like to thank my Canadian editor, Iris Tupholme, with whom I first worked in 1987 and who has shepherded my books through the difficult process of writing. As always, here, too, she has been wonderfully supportive, wise, and a joy to work with. She has always known how to encourage me to move beyond my own expectations. I owe her a lifetime debt.
It’s been a privilege to work with Sara Nelson. She is a great editor, always and immediately there; exacting and brilliant in her editorial comments; a perfectionist who encourages and demands the highest standards. Her patience is legion. All writers should be so lucky to have such an editor. I would especially like to thank Jonathan Burnham, president and publisher of the Harper division, who initially suggested me as the writer for this project, launching me on a deeply moving journey. He generously read the manuscript and offered crucial suggestions. And finally, I would like to thank my agent, Jackie Kaiser, who, like Iris, has always been there for me, providing support and advice whenever I need them. She is wise and impassioned and cares deeply about writers and writing. I am fortunate that she is my agent.
I dedicate this book to my sisters, Patricia, Sharon, and Colleen; to my brother, Terry; and to my husband and lifetime companion, Juan Opitz. With love and gratitude.
Toronto, April 1, 2021
Rosemary Sullivan
Archives and Institutes
Anne Frank Stichting （Anne Frank Foundation）， Amsterdam, Netherlands Arolsen Archives （formerly International Tracing Service）， Bad Arolsen, Germany Bundesarchiv Berlin （Federal Archives Berlin）， Berlin, Germany Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach （German Literature Archive Marbach）， Marbach, Germany Gedenkst?tte und Museum Sachsenhausen （Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen）， Oranienburg, Germany Groninger Archieven （Groningen Archives）， Groningen, Netherlands Haags Gemeentearchief （Hague City Archives）， Den Haag, Netherlands Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork （Memorial Center Camp Westerbork）， Hooghalen, Netherlands Historisch Centrum Overijssel （Historical Center Overijssel）， Zwolle, Netherlands Jewish Cultural Quarter, Amsterdam, Netherlands