Dutch brand pulls cups showing “smiling Anne Frank” off the shelves

Crockery brand Blond Amsterdam missed the mark with a collection of items plastered with Anne Frank’s face in an effort to make a “positive reminder of Dutch scenes and heroes.”

What could be more Dutch than windmills, cheese, clogs, and… Anne Frank?

Blond Amsterdam decided the image of the young heroine was appropriate to decorate a new collection of crockery, and people are not happy about it, reports the NOS.

Shows “little sympathy,” says Anne Frank House

Aron Vrieler of the Israel Information and Documentation Center (CIDI), says they were “dumbfounded” by the company’s choice of illustration. Blond Amsterdam was told to “remove those cups from the shelves”.

The Anne Frank House also spoke out after the incident, saying that the crockery store’s choice to create such an item shows “little empathy.”

But, Blond Amsterdam addressed concerns and announced in a written statement that they would remove the Anne Frank illustrated items from sales.

“That is why we want to let you know that this article will not return to our collection.”

They have also gone a step further to rectify their actions and lack of sympathy for the historical figure. All profits from the sale of the crockery will be donated.

Twitter has its say

People took to Twitter to comment on Blond Amsterdam’s lack of foresight.

Translation: BLOND AMSTERDAM DUTCH GLORY
The Dutchman sometimes has a short fuse
But this picture of Anne Frank Quickly caused a justified whine Blonde Amsterdam turned out to be a very stupid blonde here
The mugs are now quickly taken back
That will improve the value
Translation: ‘Blond Amsterdam removes crockery with smiling Anne Frank from the collection after criticism.’
Translation: Anne Frank on kitschy crockery from Blond Amsterdam, it’s really true 😮. Fun fact: the Frank family applied for Dutch citizenship in 1939 but did not receive it.

So, if you were in the market for some Anne Frank-themed kitchen items, helaas pindakaas, because the products are being recalled.

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Heather Slevin
Heather Slevin
Heather is a Dublin native, addicted to catching the Luas, the Irish version of a tram, for one stop, and well used to the constant rain and shine. Seeking to swap one concrete city for another (with a few more canals and a friendlier attitude to cyclists) here she is with the Dutch Review! As a Creative Writing student, she can usually be found sweating over the complicated formatting of her latest poem or deep inside the pages of a book, and loves writing, writing, writing.

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