Anne Frank

Who Was Anne Frank?

Anne Frank is renowned as a poignant voice of the Holocaust, whose experiences were immortalized in her posthumously published diary, The Diary of a Young Girl, commonly referred to as The Diary of Anne Frank. Born in Germany, Anne and her family fled Nazi persecution and relocated to Amsterdam when she was just four years old. In July 1942, to escape the escalating dangers posed by the Nazi regime, the Frank family went into hiding for two years. During this period, Anne meticulously documented her thoughts, feelings, and daily life in her diary, reflecting both the challenges and aspirations of a young girl amid the horrors of war.

Tragically, in August 1944, the Frank family was discovered through an anonymous tip and subsequently deported to concentration camps. Anne ultimately perished from typhus at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany at the age of 15, just six months before the camp was liberated. Her diary, which provides a deeply personal account of her life in hiding, has since become a powerful symbol of resilience and the enduring human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Early Life and Family

Annalies Marie Frank, more commonly known as Anne Frank, was born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. She was the daughter of Edith Frank and Otto Frank, the latter of whom served as a lieutenant in the German army during World War I before establishing a business career in both Germany and the Netherlands. Anne had an older sister, Margot, who was three years her senior. The Frank family epitomized the upper-middle-class, German-Jewish demographic, residing in a tranquil and religiously diverse neighborhood on the outskirts of Frankfurt. However, Anne’s birth coincided with a period of significant upheaval in German society, which would soon disrupt the family’s previously serene existence, as well as that of the broader Jewish community in Germany.

The aftermath of World War I and the imposition of harsh sanctions by the Treaty of Versailles severely impacted the German economy throughout the 1920s. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, the anti-Semitic National German Socialist Workers Party (Nazi Party), led by Adolf Hitler, emerged as the dominant political force, gaining control of the government in 1933. Otto Frank later recalled disturbing events from this period, stating, “I can remember that as early as 1932, groups of Storm Troopers came marching by, singing, ‘When Jewish blood splatters from the knife.’”

Fleeing Germany to Live in Amsterdam

The ascension of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on January 20, 1933, prompted immediate concern for the Frank family, who recognized the escalating dangers posed by the Nazi regime. In the fall of 1933, they made the difficult decision to leave Germany and relocate to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where Anne was only four years old at the time. Otto Frank later reflected on this profound transition, stating, “Though this did hurt me deeply, I realized that Germany was not the world, and I left my country forever.”

Anne chronicled her family’s emigration in her diary, noting, “Because we’re Jewish, my father immigrated to Holland in 1933, where he became the managing director of the Dutch Opekta Company, which manufactures products used in making jam.” After years of facing anti-Semitism in Germany, the Franks found solace in the freedoms afforded to them in Amsterdam. Otto recalled, “In those days, it was possible for us to start over and to feel free.”

In 1934, Anne began her education at Amsterdam’s Sixth Montessori School, where she enjoyed a relatively normal childhood throughout the latter part of the 1930s. She cultivated friendships with both Dutch and German peers, Jewish and Christian alike, and distinguished herself as a bright and inquisitive student. However, this period of relative peace was abruptly interrupted. The onset of World War II began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and further escalated on May 10, 1940, with the German invasion of the Netherlands. The Dutch capitulated just five days later, heralding the commencement of the Nazi occupation.

Reflecting on the subsequent years, Anne wrote, “After May 1940, the good times were few and far between. First there was the war, then the capitulation and then the arrival of the Germans, which is when the trouble started for the Jews.”

Beginning in October 1940, the Nazi occupiers enacted a series of oppressive anti-Jewish measures in the Netherlands. Jewish individuals were mandated to wear a yellow Star of David at all times, abide by a strict curfew, and were prohibited from owning businesses. Additionally, Anne and her sister were compelled to transfer to a segregated Jewish school.

Amid these challenges, Otto Frank adeptly navigated the restrictions imposed on his business. He officially signed ownership of the Dutch Opekta Company over to two of his Christian associates, Jo Kleiman and Victor Kugler, while continuing to manage operations from behind the scenes.

Where Did Anne Frank Hide?

On July 5, 1942, Margot Frank received an official summons to report to a Nazi work camp in Germany. The very next day, the Frank family entered hiding in makeshift quarters located in an empty space at the rear of Otto Frank’s company building, a location they referred to as the Secret Annex.

Accompanying the Franks in their concealment were Otto’s business partner, Hermann van Pels, along with his wife, Auguste, and their son, Peter. In November 1942, they were joined by Fritz Pfeffer, a German-Jewish dentist. Otto’s employees, Jo Kleiman and Victor Kugler, along with Jan and Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl, played a crucial role in providing food and information about the outside world.

The families spent two years in hiding, never once venturing outside the dark and damp confines of the Secret Annex. During this time, Anne dedicated significant hours to writing in a red-checkered diary that her parents had gifted her on her 13th birthday, just weeks before they went into hiding. Anne envisioned her writings as the foundation for a future book and adopted pseudonyms for herself and her companions, such as Anne Robin and Petronella van Daan, in place of her real name and that of Auguste van Pels. Her poignant reflections on life as a Jewish teenager during the Holocaust would eventually be shared with the world.

Capture: Who Betrayed Anne Frank?

On August 4, 1944, a German secret police officer, accompanied by four Dutch Nazis, raided the Secret Annex, arresting everyone in hiding, including Anne and her family. Their location was revealed by an anonymous tipster, and the identity of the betrayer remains unknown to this day.

The residents of the Secret Annex were transported to Camp Westerbork, a concentration camp located in northeastern Netherlands, arriving by passenger train on August 8, 1944. In the early hours of September 3, 1944, they were transferred to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Upon their arrival, the men and women were separated, marking the last time Otto Frank would see his wife or daughters.

After enduring a month of arduous labor hauling heavy stones and grass mats, Anne and Margot were transferred again, this time to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in the fall of 1944. Conditions at Bergen-Belsen were dire, with scarce food, poor sanitation, and rampant disease. Their mother, Edith, was unable to accompany them; she fell ill and died at Auschwitz on January 6, 1945.

How Did Anne Frank Die?

Anne Frank was just 15 years old at the time of her death, one of over a million Jewish children who perished during the Holocaust. Her cause of death was typhus, a disease that both Anne and her sister, Margot, contracted in the early spring of 1945 while at Bergen-Belsen.

The exact date of Anne’s death may never be definitively known. Official records from Dutch authorities indicate she died in March 1945. However, a 2015 research article based on archival materials and eyewitness accounts from historians at the Anne Frank House suggests that the sisters died within a short period of each other in February 1945. Regardless, they succumbed to their illness just weeks before British soldiers liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on April 15, 1945.

At the war’s end, Otto Frank emerged as the sole survivor of his family. Upon returning to Amsterdam, he sought desperately for news of his daughters. On July 18, 1945, he met two sisters who had been with Anne and Margot at Bergen-Belsen, who delivered the heartbreaking news of his daughters’ deaths.

The Diary of Anne Frank: An Enduring Testament to Resilience

The Secret Annex: Diary Letters from June 14, 1942, to August 1, 1944 is a curated selection of passages from Anne Frank’s diary, published on June 25, 1947, by her father, Otto Frank. Commonly known in English as The Diary of a Young Girl, this poignant work has since been translated into over 70 languages, spawning countless editions, as well as screen and stage adaptations. Often referred to simply as The Diary of Anne Frank, it remains one of the most impactful firsthand accounts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust.

On June 12, 1942, Anne penned her first diary entry on her 13th birthday, addressing an imaginary friend named Kitty. She expressed her hopes for the diary as a confidant: “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.”

During the two years that Anne and her family spent in hiding in the Secret Annex in Amsterdam, she wrote extensively in her red-checkered diary to cope with the isolation. Her entries often reflected profound despair amidst the monotony of confinement. On February 3, 1944, she wrote, “I’ve reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die. The world will keep on turning without me, and I can’t do anything to change events anyway.”

However, writing also served as an essential outlet for maintaining her sanity and spirit. As she noted on April 5, 1944, “When I write, I can shake off all my cares.”

Following the end of World War II, Otto returned to Amsterdam from the concentration camps and discovered Anne’s diary, preserved by Miep Gies. Overwhelmed by the content, he reflected, “There was revealed a completely different Anne to the child that I had lost. I had no idea of the depths of her thoughts and feelings.” Despite the diary’s passages of despair, it fundamentally embodies a narrative of faith, hope, and love amidst pervasive hatred. Otto remarked, “If she had been here, Anne would have been so proud.” The enduring legacy of The Diary of a Young Girl lies not only in the extraordinary events Anne chronicled but also in her remarkable storytelling abilities and resilient spirit amid harrowing circumstances.

In a striking passage dated July 15, 1944, Anne articulated her struggle against despair: “It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering, and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”

Beyond her diary, Anne filled a notebook with quotes from her favorite authors, original stories, and the beginnings of a novel about her experiences in the Secret Annex. Her writings reveal a young girl imbued with creativity, wisdom, emotional depth, and rhetorical power that far exceeded her years.

Hidden Diary Pages Discovered

In May 2018, researchers made a significant discovery in the archives of Anne Frank’s writings, uncovering two previously hidden pages in her diary. These pages contained explicit jokes and references to sexual matters, which Anne had concealed with pasted brown paper. In her writing, she expressed curiosity about discussing such topics, noting in Dutch, “I sometimes imagine that someone might come to me and ask me to inform him about sexual matters. How would I go about it?”

Anne approached these questions with an imaginative lens, employing euphemisms such as “rhythmical movements” to describe sexual activity and “internal medicament” to refer to contraception. She also documented her menstrual cycle, interpreting it as “a sign that she is ripe.” Furthermore, the pages featured space devoted to “dirty jokes” and alluded to sex work, with a reference to “big houses” for that purpose in Paris.

Dated September 28, 1942, these pages are part of her first diary, which she initially intended solely for herself. Ronald Leopold, the executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, commented on the significance of the find: “It is really interesting and adds meaning to our understanding of the diary. It’s a very cautious start to her becoming a writer.”

Discovery of Hidden Diary Pages

In the aftermath of World War II, the Secret Annex, the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family, was scheduled for demolition. However, a dedicated group of individuals in Amsterdam rallied to preserve this significant site, leading to the establishment of the Anne Frank House. Today, this museum stands as one of Amsterdam’s three most popular attractions, safeguarding Anne’s legacy.

In June 2013, a legal dispute arose when the Anne Frank House lost a lawsuit against the Anne Frank Fonds, an organization founded by Otto Frank, Anne’s father. The Fonds sought the return of documents associated with Anne and Otto Frank. It is important to note that Anne’s original diary and other writings remain the property of the Dutch state and have been on permanent loan to the Anne Frank House since 2009.

The museum serves as a vital repository of Anne’s legacy, alongside her diary. In 2009, the Anne Frank Center USA launched the Sapling Project, which involved planting saplings from a 170-year-old chestnut tree, a favorite of Anne’s as described in her writings, at 11 locations across the United States.

Cinematic Adaptations of Anne Frank’s Story

The poignant story of Anne Frank and her family has been adapted into various forms, beginning with the 1955 Broadway play, The Diary of Anne Frank. This adaptation has inspired numerous films and television productions.

The first major film adaptation, the 1959 The Diary of Anne Frank, featured Millie Perkins in the titular role. This critically acclaimed film received three Academy Awards, including one for Shelley Winters’ supporting performance as Petronella van Daan. In a gesture of appreciation, Winters donated her Oscar to the Anne Frank House in 1975.

In 1980, Melissa Gilbert, renowned for her portrayal of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie, played Anne in a made-for-TV movie also titled The Diary of Anne Frank. Following this, Academy Award winner Mary Steenburgen portrayed Miep Gies in the 1988 television film The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank. Additionally, the 2001 television movie Anne Frank: The Whole Story featured Ben Kingsley and Lili Taylor.

More recently, Netflix released the 2021 film My Best Friend Anne Frank, which dramatizes Anne’s real-life friendship with Hannah Goslar. In 2023, the television miniseries A Small Light highlighted the courageous efforts of Miep Gies and her husband to protect Anne and her family during their time in hiding.