Dutch Wartime Biography Pulled From Shelves Over Falsehoods

The biography of 99-year-old Willem Wilbrink has been withdrawn by its publisher after researchers found no evidence supporting his claims of being a Dachau survivor and resistance hero.

The biography of 99-year-old Dutchman Willem Wilbrink, titled Getekend voor het leven in Dachau en Indië, has been removed from bookshelves and online platforms at the publisher’s request after researchers concluded that his claims of being a resistance hero and a Dachau survivor were likely untrue.

Published in 2023 by author Laurens van Aggelen, the book recounts Wilbrink’s assertions that he was imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp at the age of 16 and allegedly saved 40 people’s lives by moving individuals destined for the incineration ovens to the infirmary. These extraordinary claims formed the core narrative of a life story that has now faced intense scrutiny. An investigation published by researcher Hans Vogelzang found no supporting evidence for these accounts in camp memoirs or archives, noting that Wilbrink was absent from the camp’s comprehensive prisoner list.

Wilbrink has long been a prominent figure at Second World War commemorations, frequently appearing in medals that have also drawn suspicion, including a Polish hero title. Several actual Dachau survivors have stated they have no memory of the stories he shared publicly over the years. This lack of corroborating evidence prompted growing concern among organizations dedicated to preserving the historical record of the camp.

The Dachau Committee had harbored doubts about the narrative since 2024, with chairman and Zutphen mayor Wimar Jaeger noting that the contents of the biography raised immediate questions. While the committee initially sought a quiet withdrawal out of empathy for a vulnerable elderly gentleman whose trauma might have altered his perceptions, they ultimately pursued public action as the unverified claims continued to be presented as established facts. Safeguarding factual reality is considered paramount to maintaining a true cautionary tale, particularly during a period that bears similarities to the era preceding the Second World War.

In response to the findings and subsequent removal of the book, author Laurens van Aggelen has rejected the criticism and stated that he stands by the biography. Meanwhile, Wilbrink has characterized the published investigation as slander and libel, maintaining that the historical records for Dachau were simply incomplete. The Arnhem-based publisher, White Elephant Media, has not yet issued a comment on the situation.