Who was Anne Frank
 |
| Anne Frank |
Source: The Ann Frank House
Anne’s first years
Nazi Germany invades the Netherlands
 |
| Her family place in Amsterdan |
Before long, Anne felt
right at home in the Netherlands. She learned the language, made new friends
and went to a Dutch school near her home. Her father worked hard to get his
business off the ground, but it was not easy. Otto also tried to set up a
company in England, but the plan fell through. Things looked up when he started
selling herbs and spices in addition to the pectin.
On 1 September 1939, when
Anne was 10 years old, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and so the Second World War
began. Not long after, on 10 May 1940, the Nazis also invaded the Netherlands.
Five days later, the Dutch army surrendered. Slowly but surely, the Nazis
introduced more and more laws and regulations that made the lives of Jews more
difficult. For instance, Jews could no longer visit parks, cinemas, or
non-Jewish shops. The rules meant that more and more places became off-limits
to Anne. Her father lost his company, since Jews were no longer allowed to run
their own businesses. All Jewish children, including Anne, had to go to
separate Jewish schools.
Anne in her final year of
primary school, 1940.
 |
| Annne finish primary school |
Photo collection: Anne
Frank Stichting, Amsterdam/ photographer unknown
Anne has to go into hiding in the Secret Annex
The Nazis took things
further, one-step at the time. Jews had to start wearing a Star of David on
their clothes and there were rumours that all Jews would have to leave the Netherlands.
When Margot received a call-up to report for a so-called ‘labour camp’ in Nazi
Germany on 5 July 1942, her parents were suspicious. They did not believe the
call-up was about work and decided to go into hiding the next day in order to
escape persecution.
In the spring of 1942,
Anne’s father had started furnishing a hiding place in the annex of his
business premises at Prinsengracht 263. He received help from his former
colleagues. Before long, four more people joined them. The hiding place was
cramped. Anne had to keep very quiet and was often afraid.
Anne keeps a diary
On her thirteenth birthday,
just before they went into hiding, Anne was presented with a diary. During the
two years in hiding, Anne wrote about events in the Secret Annex, but also
about her feelings and thoughts. In addition, she wrote short stories, started
on a novel and copied passages from the books she read in her Book of
Beautiful Sentences. Writing helped her pass the time.
When the Minister of
Education of the Dutch government in England made an appeal on Radio Orange to
hold on to war diaries and documents, Anne was inspired to rewrite her
individual diaries into one running story, titled Het Achterhuis (The
Secret Annex).
The diary Anne receives for
her 13th birthday.
Photo collection: Anne
Frank Stichting, Amsterdam
The hiding place is discovered
 |
| Otto father's Annne house back |
Anne started rewriting her
diary, but before she was done, she and the other people in hiding were
discovered and arrested by police officers on 4 August 1944. The police also
arrested two of the helpers. To this day, we do not know the reason for the
police raid.
Despite the raid, part of
Anne’s writing was preserved: two other helpers took the documents before the
Secret Annex was emptied by order of the Nazis.
Anne is deported to Auschwitz
Via the offices of the Sicherheitsdienst
(the German security police), a prison in Amsterdam, and the Westerbork
transit camp, the people from the Secret Annex were put on transport to the
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. The train journey took
three days, during which Anne and over a thousand others were packed closely
together in cattle wagons. There was little food and water and only a barrel
for a toilet.
Upon arrival at Auschwitz,
Nazi doctors checked to see who would and who would not be able to do heavy
forced labour. Around 350 people from Anne's transport were immediately taken
to the gas chambers and murdered. Anne, Margot and their mother were sent to
the labour camp for women. Otto ended up in a camp for men.
Anne dies from exhaustion in Bergen-Belsen
In early November 1944,
Anne was put on transport again. She was deported to the Bergen-Belsen
concentration camp with Margot. Their parents stayed behind in Auschwitz. The
conditions in Bergen-Belsen were horrible too. There was a lack of food,
it was cold, wet and there were contagious diseases. Anne and Margot
contracted typhus. In February 1945 they both died owing to its effects, Margot
first, Anne shortly afterwards.
Anne’s father Otto was the
only one of the people from the Secret Annex to survive the war. He was
liberated from Auschwitz by the Russians and during his long journey back to
the Netherlands he learned that his wife Edith had died. Once in the
Netherlands, he heard that Anne and Margot were no longer alive either.
Otto Frank in the attic of
the Secret Annex, a few hours before the official opening of the Anne Frank
House on 3 May 1960.
Photographer: Arnold Newman
Anne’s diary becomes world famous
Anne's writing made a deep
impression on Otto. He read that Anne had wanted to become a writer or a
journalist and that she had intended to publish her stories about life in the
Secret Annex. Friends convinced Otto to publish the diary and in June 1947, 3,000
copies of Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex) were printed.
And that was not all: the
book was later translated into around 70 languages and adapted for stage and
screen. People all over the world were introduced to Anne's story and in 1960
the hiding place became a museum: the Anne Frank House. Until his death in
1980, Otto remained closely involved with the Anne Frank House and the museum:
he hoped that readers of the diary would become aware of the dangers of
discrimination, racism, and hatred of Jews.
Anne in her final year of
primary school, 1940.
Photo collection: Anne
Frank Stichting, Amsterdam/ photographer unknown
Anne has to go into hiding in the Secret Annex
The Nazis took things
further, one step at the time. Jews had to start wearing a Star of David on
their clothes and there were rumours that all Jews would have to leave the
Netherlands. When Margot received a call-up to report for a so-called ‘labour
camp’ in Nazi Germany on 5 July 1942, her parents were suspicious. They did not
believe the call-up was about work and decided to go into hiding the next day
in order to escape persecution.
In the spring of 1942,
Anne’s father had started furnishing a hiding place in the annex of his
business premises at Prinsengracht 263. He received help from his former
colleagues. Before long, they were joined by four more people. The hiding place
was cramped. Anne had to keep very quiet and was often afraid.
Anne keeps a diary
On her thirteenth birthday,
just before they went into hiding, Anne was presented with a diary. During the
two years in hiding, Anne wrote about events in the Secret Annex, but also
about her feelings and thoughts. In addition, she wrote short stories, started
on a novel and copied passages from the books she read in her Book of
Beautiful Sentences. Writing helped her pass the time.
When the Minister of
Education of the Dutch government in England made an appeal on Radio Orange to
hold on to war diaries and documents, Anne was inspired to rewrite her
individual diaries into one running story, titled Het Achterhuis (The
Secret Annex).
The diary Anne receives for
her 13th birthday.
Photo collection: Anne
Frank Stichting, Amsterdam
The hiding place is discovered
Anne started rewriting her
diary, but before she was done, she and the other people in hiding were
discovered and arrested by police officers on 4 August 1944. The police also
arrested two of the helpers. To this day, we do not know the reason for the
police raid.
Despite the raid, part of
Anne’s writing was preserved: two other helpers took the documents before the
Secret Annex was emptied by order of the Nazis.
Anne is deported to Auschwitz
Via the offices of the Sicherheitsdienst
(the German security police), a prison in Amsterdam, and the Westerbork
transit camp, the people from the Secret Annex were put on transport to the
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. The train journey took
three days, during which Anne and over a thousand others were packed closely
together in cattle wagons. There was little food and water and only a barrel
for a toilet.
Upon arrival at Auschwitz,
Nazi doctors checked to see who would and who would not be able to do heavy
forced labour. Around 350 people from Anne's transport were immediately taken
to the gas chambers and murdered. Anne, Margot and their mother were sent to
the labour camp for women. Otto ended up in a camp for men.
Anne dies from exhaustion in Bergen-Belsen
In early November 1944,
Anne was put on transport again. She was deported to the Bergen-Belsen
concentration camp with Margot. Their parents stayed behind in Auschwitz. The
conditions in Bergen-Belsen were horrible too. There was a lack of food,
it was cold, wet and there were contagious diseases. Anne and Margot
contracted typhus. In February 1945 they both died owing to its effects, Margot
first, Anne shortly afterwards.
Anne’s father Otto was the
only one of the people from the Secret Annex to survive the war. He was liberated
from Auschwitz by the Russians and during his long journey back to the
Netherlands he learned that his wife Edith had died. Once in the Netherlands,
he heard that Anne and Margot were no longer alive either.
Otto Frank in the attic of
the Secret Annex, a few hours before the official opening of the Anne Frank
House on 3 May 1960.
Photographer: Arnold Newman
Anne’s diary becomes world famous
Anne's writing made a deep
impression on Otto. He read that Anne had wanted to become a writer or a
journalist and that she had intended to publish her stories about life in the
Secret Annex. Friends convinced Otto to publish the diary and in June 1947, 3,000
copies of Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex) were printed.
And that was not all: the
book was later translated into around 70 languages and adapted for stage and
screen. People all over the world were introduced to Anne's story and in 1960
the hiding place became a museum: the Anne Frank House. Until his death in
1980, Otto remained closely involved with the Anne Frank House and the museum:
he hoped that readers of the diary would become aware of the dangers of
discrimination, racism, and hatred of Jews.
With affection,
Ruben
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