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Anne Frank

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Anne Frank was a German-born Jewish diarist and a victim of the Holocaust.

Anne Frank lacht naar de schoolfotograaf
Anne Frank lacht naar de schoolfotograaf

She became famous worldwide after her death for her personal writings. Her diary documented her life while hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands. This record provides a detailed look at daily life under German occupation. Today, her story is one of the most discussed accounts of the Holocaust.

Het Achterhuis (Diary of Anne Frank) - front cover, first edition
Het Achterhuis (Diary of Anne Frank) - front cover, first edition

Anne was born Annelies Marie Frank on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany.

AnneFrank1940 crop
AnneFrank1940 crop

Her parents were Otto Heinrich Frank and Edith Holländer. She had one older sister named Margot. The family were Reform Jews living in an assimilated community. In 1933, after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power, the family moved to Amsterdam.

Otto Frank moved first to organize a business at the Opekta Works. Opekta sold pectin, which is a fruit extract used in food. The rest of the family joined him in Amsterdam by February 1934.

Life in the Netherlands changed significantly after Germany invaded in May 1940. The occupation government began implementing restrictive and discriminatory laws against Jewish citizens. Anne lost her German citizenship in 1941 and became stateless. She could no longer attend her school, the 6th Montessori School. Instead, she and Margot attended an exclusive Jewish secondary school in Amsterdam. The family attempted to emigrate to the United States. However, their visa application was never processed because the US consulate in Rotterdam was destroyed by bombing in May 1940.

In July 1942, the family went into hiding to avoid deportation. They moved into a space called the Secret Annex, or Achterhuis.

Anne Frank House Model
Anne Frank House Model

This hiding place was located in the rear of the Opekta building. They entered through a landing and used a bookcase to hide the door.

AnneFrankHouse Bookcase
AnneFrankHouse Bookcase

The Franks were joined by the Van Pels family and a dentist named Fritz Pfeffer. They lived in these cramped rooms for two years. The occupants relied entirely on a small group of trusted helpers for survival.

The helpers included Miep Gies, Bep Voskuijl, Victor Kugler, and Johannes Kleiman.

AnneFrankHouseAmsterdamtheNetherlands
AnneFrankHouseAmsterdamtheNetherlands

These individuals provided food, news, and supplies to the people in hiding. They faced the risk of the death penalty for assisting Jews. Anne wrote about the dedication of these helpers in her diary. She also recorded the tensions of living in confined conditions. She noted disagreements over food and space with other residents. During this time, she also developed a romance with Peter van Pels.

On August 4, 1944, the Gestapo discovered and arrested the residents of the Secret Annex. The family was transported to concentration camps. Anne and Margot were transferred from Auschwitz to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on November 1, 1944.

Anne frank memorial bergen belsen
Anne frank memorial bergen belsen

They died there a few months later, likely from typhus. While Dutch authorities once set their death date as March 31, 1945, recent research suggests they may have died in February or early March 1945. Otto Frank was the only member of the family to survive the war.

After the war, Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam and learned his daughter's diary had been saved. Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl had preserved the writings. Moved by Anne's wish to be an author, Otto published the diary in 1947. The English version, titled The Diary of a Young Girl, was released in 1952. It has since been translated into over 70 languages.

Annelies Frank 12.6.1929 - Anne Frank, National Holocaust Names Memorial, Amsterdam 2023
Annelies Frank 12.6.1929 - Anne Frank, National Holocaust Names Memorial, Amsterdam 2023

Her diary has become a foundation for many plays and films.

Anne Frank's legacy connects to broader historical and educational themes. Her diary serves as a primary source for understanding the human experience during the Holocaust. The Anne Frank School was named in her honor in 1957. Her life is also commemorated through various monuments and museums.

AnneFrank dHont
AnneFrank dHont

These sites help ensure that the history of the Jewish people during this era is remembered. Her words continue to offer a perspective on life, even in the most difficult circumstances.

642 words

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🖼️ Images & Media (16)
File:AnneFrank1940 crop.jpg
AnneFrank1940 crop.jpg
Anne Frank- the only existing film images.webm
File:Anne Frank lacht naar de schoolfotograaf.jpg
Anne Frank lacht naar de schoolfotograaf.jpg
File:AnneFrankHouseAmsterdamtheNetherlands.jpg
AnneFrankHouseAmsterdamtheNetherlands.jpg
File:AnneFrankHouse Bookcase.jpg
AnneFrankHouse Bookcase.jpg
File:Anne Frank House Model.JPG
Anne Frank House Model.JPG
File:Amsterdam Westerkerk Blick vom Turm 15.jpg
Amsterdam Westerkerk Blick vom Turm 15.jpg
File:Hut-AnneFrank-Westerbork.jpg
Hut-AnneFrank-Westerbork.jpg
File:Anne frank memorial bergen belsen.jpg
Anne frank memorial bergen belsen.jpg
File:Annelies Frank 12.6.1929 - Anne Frank, National Holocaust Names Memorial, Amsterdam 2023.jpg
Annelies Frank 12.6.1929 - Anne Frank,...
File:Het Achterhuis (Diary of Anne Frank) - front cover, first edition.jpg
Het Achterhuis (Diary of Anne Frank) -...
File:AnneFrank dHont.jpg
AnneFrank dHont.jpg

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