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On eBay: chestnut from Anne Frank's tree
When Anne Frank was hiding in Amsterdam, she often gazed at a chestnut tree outside her attic hiding place, about which she then recorded in her famous diary. The chestnut tree has been condemned, as its trunk is so diseased it could topple over. But before the tree is cut down this Wednesday, one entrepreneur was able to snatch a relic and attempt to make a profit on it. Charles Kuijpers, who lives next door to the tree's garden, has put one chestnut from the tree up for sale on eBay.
Bids at the time of writing were at $700. How much would you pay?
Filed under: Activism, Business, Europe, Netherlands
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lin woodruff Nov 20th 2007 11:52AM
i think that he chessnut should be planted in Israel.
corry Nov 20th 2007 11:58AM
are you kidding me??..buy a chestnut??..we have billions of starving children all over the world and you want to buy a chestnut!!!..please..i can find better things to do with my money...
sara Nov 20th 2007 12:20PM
actually, this is a very cool piece of history. tree genes have been passed on from various historical sources all over the world (monticello in virginia, olive trees from the middle east, etc)....it should be preserved.
Ruud Nov 20th 2007 12:35PM
The story is correct, but the tree in the picture is definitely not the chestnut tree. Besides: till this very moment (6.30 PM Dutch time) it's still uncertain that the tree will be cut down. An Amsterdam court will announce it's decision in about half an hour.
And talking about making commercial profits out of this whole hype: the local Amsterdam tv-station AT5 has the exclusive worldwide rights for the footage on the tree going down!
Ruud Nov 20th 2007 1:36PM
Last news: Amsterdam court forbids cutting down Anne Frank tree!
ruthy Nov 20th 2007 5:52PM
I've been to Anne's Franks house with my family, There is alot of history in that house. As for the tree, It should be off limits to capitalist who want to profit off a girl and her families death or property.
boredwell Nov 21st 2007 1:06AM
Nothing is sacred. As heart-aching as it may be, I can understand the reason for the famous tree's imminent removal. But to pluck a chestnut from that tree calculating how much he could make off of it has no redeeming value whatsover. Had he kept it for himself that would be one thing. But his crassness stands out as the real chestnut.
joe Nov 21st 2007 1:26AM
Why dont anyone talk about how the so called anne frank diaries were written with a ball point pen when investigated. When was ball point pen invented...? A long time after she lived, point at hand, who made all the money....?
Anne Nov 21st 2007 7:22AM
Joe: re your comment about Ballpoint pens: Look it up before you comment! You make yourself look uneducated.
Ballpoints
The first patent on a ballpoint pen was issued on October 30, 1888, to John J Loud[7]. In 1938, László Bíró, a Hungarian newspaper editor, with the help of his brother George, a chemist, began to work on designing new types of pens including one with a tiny ball in its tip that was free to turn in a socket. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball rotated, picking up ink from the ink cartridge and leaving it on the paper. Bíró filed a British patent on June 15, 1938. In 1940 the Bíró brothers and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, moved to Argentina fleeing Nazi Germany and on June 10, filed another patent, and formed Bíró Pens of Argentina. By the summer of 1943 the first commercial models were available[8]. Erasable ballpoint pens were introduced by Papermate in 1979 when the Erasermate was put on the market.[9]
Nicole Nov 21st 2007 8:16AM
anybody see the listing for the jar of lake water from lake lanier, GA? What do you think?
Timothy Nov 21st 2007 9:12AM
"joe" what a dolt. Do some more research! http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/ballpen.htm
I'm sure Amsterdam is not gonna let this tree go. As far as one man obtaining a single nut and selling it on e-bay....will the person try and grow another tree?
Why not protect and grow another in the same spot?
hhhh Nov 21st 2007 5:21PM
History is what people remember it as. ANNE FRANK IS DEAD. A chestnut has NOTHING in common with her, and selling it on eBay is just using pseudo-history to get yourself ahead.
Randy Nov 21st 2007 12:35PM
At first glance, this story seems like something a nut created. But as an American that has seen the fringes of a Metaphisical world. I am drawn strangely to this story. I feel a (Molicule to Molicule) relation through the empty space, between the Tree and the Tormented eyes and the Mind of Ann's tears for so many hours. (As wierd as that seems), I feel oddly, a connection that must exist. Nothing I can Prove, it's a hard concept for some to get their Minds around. But, so is life. The Nut should be Planted (if still Possible) somewhere for an unknown reason, at this time. Maybe only for philosiphers of the future. How much trouble will that take? My chatroom name 'Buzzin Heart'
Randy Nov 21st 2007 12:17PM
No One should ever forget our psychic connection with sience. Or let our collective conciouseness be pushed aside. and "NEVER FORGET" -Buzzin Heart-
zilla1973 Dec 15th 2007 12:44AM
Hello.
In regards to the Anne Frank Chestnut..
I wanted to let you know that the seller and I agreed to donate 100% of the auction price to the Anne Frank House.
This can be verified by contacting Saskia Mathéron at the Anne Frank House.
The chestnuts (10 sent) will be donated and planted at middle schools in the U.S. that have a suitable climate for the trees.