As a nonprofit helping to shape global understanding of the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance including lessons on modern day antisemitism the Anne Frank House is entrusted with the preservation of the Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II presented at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan opens on International Holocaust Remembrance Day to mark the 80th commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz Anne Frank The Exhibition is a first-of-its-kind furnished as it would have been when Anne and her family were forced into hiding Visitors will be introduced to the context that shaped Anne’s life—from her early years in Frankfurt Germany through the rise of the Nazi regime and the family’s move to Amsterdam in 1934 where Anne lived until her 1944 arrest and deportation to Westerbork a concentration camp and killing center in Nazi-occupied Poland and eventually to her death at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany when she was 15 years old Designed for audiences who may not have the opportunity to visit the Netherlands the exhibition will be among the most important presentations of Jewish historical content on view in the United States Immersing visitors in place and history through video more than 100 original items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam will provide an opportunity to learn about Anne Frank not as a victim but through the multifaceted lens of her life—as a girl Anne Frank The Exhibition is a story inspired by one of the most translated books in the world The exhibition will occupy over 7,500 square feet in the heart of Union Square This marks the first time dozens of artifacts will be seen in the United States—many have never been seen in public Executive Director of the Anne Frank House said: “Anne Frank's words resonate and inspire today a voice we carry to all corners of the world we have an obligation to help world audiences understand the historical roots and evolution of antisemitism including how it fueled Nazi ideology that led to the Holocaust and as one of the 1.5 million Jewish children who were murdered at the hands of Nazi officials and their collaborators the Anne Frank House offers insights into how this could have happened and what it means for us today that are certain to deepen our collective understanding of Anne Frank and hopefully provide a better understanding of ourselves By bringing this exhibition to New York—a place with many ties to Anne’s story— the Anne Frank House is expanding the reach of our work to encourage more people to remember Anne Frank and respond by standing against antisemitism and hatred in their own communities.” President of the Center for Jewish History said: “We are absolutely thrilled to host this landmark exhibition As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January Anne Frank’s story becomes more urgent than ever her diary serves as both a warning and a call to action reminding us of the devastating impact of hatred This exhibition challenges us to confront these dangers head-on and honor the memory of those lost in the Holocaust.” The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of many philanthropic foundations and individuals who are helping to make it available to as many students as possible throughout the region Advising the Anne Frank House is Michael S Executive Director of the Anne Frank House’s official partner at the University of South Carolina Anne Frank The Exhibition is a limited engagement Tickets are available at AnneFrankExhibit.org The exhibition is designed for adults and children (ages 10 and older) Anne Frank HouseWestermarkt 201016 DK Amsterdam First full-scale replica of Frank’s attic annexe goes on show next week on International Holocaust Remembrance Day The first-ever full-scale replica of Anne Frank’s attic annex goes on show in New York next week part of an ongoing effort to maintain awareness of – and combat – antisemitism in the midst of conflict in the Middle East and political tensions in the US in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945 the exhibition at the Center for Jewish History in downtown Manhattan aims to introduce new audiences to one of the most famous victims of Adolf Hitler’s “final solution” It opens on International Holocaust Remembrance Day which this year commemorates the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz one of the largest extermination sites in occupied Europe The exhibition in New York follows an exhibit last year of artefacts drawn from the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on the Nova music festival and surrounding communities that precipitated a counter-invasion that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza razed much of the territory and led some groups to accuse Israel of carrying out a genocide A furnished recreation of one of the rooms in the secret annex in Anne Frank’s family home Photograph: Justin Lane/EPAIt includes more than 100 original artifacts related to the Frank family including a Dutch version of the Monopoly board she played and a 1947 letter from a New York publisher to her father that has sold more than 35m copies in 70 languages since publication that same year Organizers say they have not tried to imitate what is on display at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam but an immersion in the home environments and world events that shaped the young woman’s life “We need to look for new ways to mediate this story and keep it relevant for the young generation and future generations It’s not like the standard Holocaust exhibition but to make it like a personal journey to touch hearts,” said Tom Brink head of publications and presentations at the Anne Frank House Brink added: “It’s about the past and knowledge of the Holocaust but also about now and the fight against antisemitism Visitors at the Anne Frank exhibit in New York. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPAA study released on Thursday by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found knowledge of basic facts about the Holocaust is fading The survey assessed that across eight countries 76% of adults believe something like the Holocaust could happen again; that those aged 18–29 are more likely to believe that the number of Jews killed has been exaggerated; and nearly half (48%) of Americans and a quarter of adults in the UK France and Romania could not name a concentration camp or ghetto without wishing to detract from Frank’s experience or her posthumously published diaries worry that her experience has been universalized to stand for generalized account of human injustice and an idealization of the strength human spirit Hannah Pick-Goslar, one of Frank’s best friends from kindergarten to middle school, recounted later that she had caught a glimpse of her friend at Bergen-Belsen. “It wasn’t the same Anne that I had known,” she said “One aspect of her story is that because it’s devoid of overt religious tones – her family were not observant Jews – and also because it lacks the particulars of what happened to Jews in the camps and ghettos almost stripped of the Jewish elements of her life,” said Dr Lauren Strauss director of undergraduate studies for the Jewish Studies Program at the American University in Washington DC “Anne has been adopted and adapted by every type of popular culture She is used to represent violations of human rights even more than she represents antisemitism specifically.” The exhibition catalog acknowledges observations that Anne’s “youthful optimism” was appropriated in ways that minimized the meaning of this watershed event but reasons that “the problem is not whether Anne Frank was the right one to represent the victims of the Holocaust but that no single person ever could” The exhibition arrives at a particular moment in which antisemitism – as well as the implications of certain Nazi symbols – is being debated in the US Free newsletterGet the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning The Utah-based tech startup SchoolAI is under scrutiny for using artificial intelligence to generate a simulation of Anne Frank that the historian Henrik Schönemann said avoided blaming her death on the Nazis He called the experiment “a kind of grave-robbing” that “violates every premise of Holocaust-education” Harvard University, one of many universities that experienced pro-Palestinian protests last year settled two lawsuits accusing the school of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic bullying and harassment on campus Harvard agreed to strengthen its policies against antisemitism on campus and said it would adopt a revised definition of antisemitism, including holding Israel to a “double standard” or describing the creation of Israel as a “racist endeavor” But at the same time that antisemitism – along with others forms of discrimination – is on the rise in the US, it also comes as some organizations and prominent pro-Israeli figures have been accused of conflating antisemitism with legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, in particular over its policies carrying out the war on Gaza. Some contend that discussion about Gaza – and expressions of support for Palestinian rights – has been stifled by blanket accusations that such statements are antisemitic. Read moreOne of the most visible skirmishes came when Elon Musk repeatedly gave an apparent fascist-style salute at a Donald Trump inauguration rally and prompted a flood of shock and outrage and was supported by the Jewish civil rights body the Anti-Defamation League who said he should be given “the benefit of the doubt” That stance in itself prompted a backlash against the ADL you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” said the leftist Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Musk then taunted his accusers with Nazi puns. “Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Gőring your enemies,” Musk wrote on X Bet you did nazi that coming,” he added with a laughing emoji That was enough to finally raise the hackles of ADL’s chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt: “We’ve said it hundreds of times before and we will say it again: the Holocaust was a singularly evil event and it is inappropriate and offensive to make light of it,” he posted on X For 761 terrifying days, Anne Frank hid in the stifling quarters of a secret annex in Amsterdam, fearing that at any moment the Nazis who occupied the Netherlands during World War II would discover her hiding place She could never go outside and had to remain quiet to avoid detection It was in that secret annex where the 13-year-old penned her iconic diary This month, visitors to a Manhattan exhibit will be able to immerse themselves in a full-scale replica of that hideaway. "Anne Frank: The Exhibition" is based on the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam her family and four other Jews evaded Nazi capture for two years The exhibit will debut at the Center for Jewish History near Union Square on Jan. 27 — International Holocaust Remembrance Day The aim is to bring visitors closer to Anne Frank's life during her months in the annex executive director of the Anne Frank House "We have an obligation to help world audiences understand the historical roots and evolution of antisemitism including how it fueled Nazi ideology that led to the Holocaust," he said Tickets are already available online for the exhibition The Anne Frank House museum is one of the most visited historical sites in Europe with about 1.2 million people touring the site annually But not everyone who wants to see it is able to get there The Manhattan exhibit will give more people access to Anne's story At a time when surveys show that knowledge of the Holocaust is fading among newer generations the re-creation will help young Americans learn about that dark era of history through the life of perhaps its most well-known young victim Organizers anticipate reaching over 250,000 students around the country They have been working with hundreds of school districts in the tri-state area to organize class trips has made it possible to offer fully subsidized tours to New York City public school students as well as those at underprivileged schools around the country a principal adviser to the Anne Frank Exhibition Organizers have also created an educational program and curriculum for teachers to use in concert with the exhibit Schools from New York to California have already booked visits and residents of roughly 40 states have purchased tickets as well and after it closes in New York on April 30 it will make its way to other cities around the country A schedule will be announced in the spring The exhibit portrays Anne as more than a Holocaust victim Visitors will learn about her "through the multifaceted lens of a life as a teenaged girl as a symbol of resilience and strength," Leopold told The Record and NorthJersey.com FBI data shows that anti-Jewish hate crimes in the U.S With the number of Holocaust survivors dwindling and hate growing "the mission to spread Anne Frank's story has never been greater," Leopold said Germany invaded the Netherlands and made it increasingly dangerous for Jews deporting over 100,000 from the nation to extermination camps After Anne's older sister Margot received a letter ordering her to report to a work camp in Germany in 1942 asked one of the employees of his small jam and jelly company to help hide his family above his company's warehouse helped protect and smuggle food to the family in the 450-square-foot space The group hid in the annex's cramped rooms for two years and Anne passed the time by writing her observations and feelings in a diary the hiding spot was discovered by the Gestapo and the group was deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp All of them except for Otto Frank died in concentration camps He published his daughter's diary two years after her death Anne has become a symbol of hope and resilience Her diary is now one of the most widely read books in the world It's been made into a Broadway play and a film because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart," Anne wrote at one point Her account "serves as both a warning and a call to action, reminding us of the devastating impact of hatred," said Gavriel Rosenfeld, president of the Center for Jewish History "This exhibition challenges us to confront these dangers head-on and honor the memory of those lost in the Holocaust." More: Auschwitz survivor brings 'message of hope' to Bergen in era of growing Holocaust denial How to visit the Anne Frank Exhibition in NYCTickets are available at AnneFrankExhibit.org The exhibit is designed for children ages 10 and older and adults $21 for a timed ticket Monday through Friday to $48 for a flex ticket on Sundays and holidays There's a $5 discount for visitors under 17 years old discounts or free tickets are available for certain student groups More information is available on the website Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today Email: yellin@northjersey.com X/Twitter: @deenayellin Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A full-scale replica of the annex where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II is set to open in New York next year The exhibit, titled Anne Frank The Exhibition will debut at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan on Jan. 27, 2025, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day For the first time, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam will recreate the secret annex outside of the Netherlands Their replica aims to bring visitors closer to the experience of Anne Frank and seven others who hid from Nazi occupiers for over two years the Anne Frank House will present what I would call a pioneering experience outside of Amsterdam," said Anne Frank House director Ronald Leopold in a recent interview According to the director, the exhibit is designed to portray Anne as more than just a Holocaust victim "What we try to achieve with this exhibition is that people will learn about Anne not just as a victim but through the multifaceted lens of a life as a symbol of resilience and of strength," he said Hosted in 7,500 square feet of the Jewish Center's Union Square Building, the exhibit will trace the Frank family's resistance to Nazi rule from Anne's early years to her father Otto's later life Although Anne's original diary will not be included in the exhibit due to its fragility Notable artifacts include a yellow star that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Netherlands and Shelley Winters' Oscar for her role in the 1959 film The Diary of Anne Frank exhibition and the original in Amsterdam is the furnishing of the rooms The annex in Amsterdam remains largely unfurnished at the request of Otto Frank, but the New York version will appear as though lived in using period-appropriate furnishings once owned by the family for visual context Leopold says the move will "immerse visitors in a full-scale meticulous recreation of the secret annex." and her older sister Margot went into hiding after Margot received a summons to report to a Nazi work camp The Franks were soon joined by the van Pels family—Hermann and their teenage son Peter—and later by Fritz Pfeffer eight people lived in the annex for more than two years They remained in the annex until they were betrayed—reportedly by ex-FBI agent Arnold van den Bergh—and discovered by the Nazis Anne and Margot were transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Anne was just 15 years old. Her father, the only surviving family member, published Anne's diary after the war, and it has since become a global symbol of hope and resilience with devastating antisemitism and other forms of group hatred on the rise in the U.S we feel [ …] our responsibility as Anne Frank House has never been greater," Leopold said Anne Frank The Exhibition will run until April 30 This article includes reporting from The Associated Press Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. 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Amsterdam The Anne Frank House is a museum dedicated to the eponymous Anne Frank one of the most famous figures from the Second World War Frank was a young Jewish girl who hid from the Nazis in an Amsterdam canal house something she documented in her world-renowned diary Visitors to the Anne Frank House can visit the location where the Frank family sheltered There’s nothing quite like the Anne Frank House anywhere else on earth The museum walks you through Anne Frank’s life and time in hiding offering a portal and human lens into the horrors the Nazis perpetuated on both the Jewish people and the world at large and something every first timer in Amsterdam should have near the top of their list.  The Anne Frank House is one of the most-visited museums in the Netherlands, but can hold far fewer people than the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum This means that tickets get snapped up incredibly quickly Our advice would be to book your entrance tickets as soon as you have your flights to ensure you can visit 📍 Discover more of the best museums in Amsterdam Thanks for subscribing! 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About us Contact us BRANCHBURG — A traveling exhibition honoring the life and legacy of Anne Frank is now on display at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg The “Anne Frank in Translation,” presented by the Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at RVCC will be on display at the college’s library until May 15 The exhibition highlights the idea that Anne Frank has been translated in many languages “Her story has resonated over decades with people from all over the world across many generations,” Edgar said This exhibition is meant to highlight how this has unfolded who is involved in making Anne Frank the iconic figure she is and the exhibition is also supplemented with copies of Frank’s diaries in multiple languages and French.The memorabilia on display is The Diary of Anne Frank in multiple languages The exhibition is informational so people will see various screens and panels about the history and the people involved “They’ll be seeing various standing screens and panels with information and we’ll be showing a little film that also reflects the universality of Anne Frank’s story,” she said RVCC acquired the diaries themselves but the actual panels from the exhibition are from Kennesaw State University in Georgia People are allowed to peruse the books and diaries in various languages available Edgar said there are about 10 copies of the diary on display plus a graphic novel that has also been translated into French and Spanish “The exhibit provides a reflection of Anne Frank’s story and understanding more in-depth the people and the different groups involved in making her story come to life from when she was writing while she was in hiding to where we are today in our world and how her story still resonates,” Edgar said plus seeing the different languages that her diary is available in plus accounts of others who have gone to see the annex in Amsterdam brings everything together in many different ways and can resonate with many different people The exhibition is open to the public and free to attend Aside from the Anne Frank exhibition on display until May 15 RVCC has another piece of Anne Frank history located in the main quad of the campus A sapling from Anne Frank’s chestnut tree outside the annex in Amsterdam has taken root at the college RVCC was honored to receive one of the saplings from the original tree in front of the Annex where Frank and her family had remained hidden for more than two years. The chestnut tree was a point of inspiration for Anne Whenever she looked outside from inside the secret annex and looked at the tree it gave her the drive and inspiration to keep going Frank died at age 16 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany and who was instrumental in creating the Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at RVCC She also helped create The Holocaust Commission in New Jersey Feldman was born on the same as Anne Frank Both women were sent to Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen RVCC asked to have one of Frank’s tree saplings to honor Feldman Margit was from Hungary but came to New Jersey to live with relatives She died at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on April 14 folks are encouraged to check out the exhibition at The Center for Jewish History in New York City opened until the end of April features a replica of the annex where Anne Frank and her family were holed up in Amsterdam Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom \"Anne Frank in Translation\" is on display at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg until May 15.\nRead More BRANCHBURG — A traveling exhibition honoring the life and legacy of Anne Frank is now on display at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg The “Anne Frank in Translation,” presented by the Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at RVCC will be on display at the college’s library until May 15 As we celebrate Margit Feldman, a Holocaust survivor and life-long educator, on her 90th birthday, we remember #AnneFrank and her words of hope & strength on what would have also been her 90th birthday. pic.twitter.com/ocMAdNrKwD Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom The hidden annex where Anne Frank hid from Nazi occupiers during World War II is heading to New York A full-scale replica of the rooms that form the heart of the Anne Frank House museum is being built in the Netherlands and will be shipped across the Atlantic the cornerstone of the Amsterdam museum’s collection FILE - A woman enters the secret annex at the renovated Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam gestures as he talks next to the passage to the secret annex during an interview in Amsterdam A friendship album with Anne Frank’s writing is displayed in Amsterdam Wallpaper is being prepared for an exact replica of the secret annex which will travel to New York for an exhibit Anne Frank House director Ronald Leopold talks about the upcoming exhibit in New York during an interview in Amsterdam A sheet of pictures of Anne Frank is displayed in Amsterdam One of the yellow stars Jews were ordered to wear in the occupied Netherlands is displayed next to a sign reading “Forbidden For Jews” at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam A maquette of the secret annex is displayed at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam The Best Supporting Actress Oscar won by Shelley Winters for her role in George Stevens’ 1959 film “The Diary of Anne Frank.” is displayed by Remco van Doren manager of the Anne Frank House collection in Amsterdam the Anne Frank House will present what I would call a pioneering experience outside of Amsterdam spent more than two years hiding to evade Nazi capture,” Anne Frank House director Ronald Leopold told The Associated Press in an interview detailing the upcoming exhibition and her 16-year-old sister Margo went into hiding in the annex They were joined a week later by the van Pels family — Hermann also seeking to evade capture by the Netherlands’ Nazi German occupiers They stayed in the annex of rooms until they were discovered in 1944 and sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp Anne and her sister Margot were then moved to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where they both died of typhus in February 1945 the only person from the annex to survive the Holocaust published Anne’s diary after the war and it became a publishing sensation around the world as a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of tyranny Leopold said the New York exhibit promises to be “an immersive to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz While the faithfully rebuilt annex of rooms will be the heart of the exhibit it also will trace the history of Anne’s family from their time in Germany their move to the Netherlands and decision to go into hiding Anne’s death and the postwar decision by her father to publish her diary “What we try to achieve with this exhibition is that people our visitors will learn about Anne not just as a victim We hope that they will contemplate the context that shaped her life.” The exhibition comes at a time of rising antisemitism and anger at the devastating war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that has now spread to the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon following the deadly Oct our responsibility as Anne Frank House has never been greater,” Leopold said “And this exhibition is also in part a response to that responsibility to educate people to stand against antisemitism Anne’s diary will not be making the transatlantic trip “We unfortunately will not be able to travel with the diary the notebooks and the loose sheets that Anne wrote Among 125 exhibits that are traveling from Amsterdam for the New York exhibition are photos artefacts such as one of the yellow stars Jews were ordered to wear in the occupied Netherlands as well as the Best Supporting Actress Oscar won by Shelley Winters for her role in George Stevens’ 1959 film “The Diary of Anne Frank.” 2025—which marks both International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz concentration camp’s liberation He went on to publish Anne’s journals via The Diary of a Young Girl in 1947 Otto Frank demonstrates the moveable bookcase which concealed the entrance to the family’s annex Get a year of unlimited access for $25 $20 per month “What we try to achieve with this exhibition is that our visitors will learn about Anne not just as a victim as a symbol of resilience and of strength,” Anne Frank House director Ronald Leopold said “We hope that they will contemplate the context that shaped her life.” The Studio Has Tons of A-List Cameos—Including Some of the Best Midcentury-Modern Architecture in LA 50 Cent’s Houses: Exploring the Rapper’s Over-The-Top Real Estate Portfolio The Full House Victorian in San Francisco Sells for $6 Million The Residence Offers a Peek Inside the White House—but What Really Goes Into Running the President’s Private Quarters? 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Join AD for print and digital access now Browse the AD PRO Directory to find an AD-approved design expert for your next project. the Dutch authorities announced that all Jews must register with their municipality as Jews or 'bastard Jews' This information was added to their personal data in the population register a tab was added to each card with either a ‘J’ or a ‘B’ Every registered Jew received a certificate of registration to take home The municipalities forwarded the registrations to the national population register in The Hague almost all of them did what they were told to do This was how the Nazis got a hold on the Jews in the Netherlands The SS officer responsible for the programme was Friedrich Wimmer who described it as follows: ‘This will ensure the rapid handling of any possible changes such as relocations.’ (‘Der enge organisatorische Anschluss des Zentralregisters an die Bevolkingsboekhouding (Bevölkerungsbuchhaltung) in den Niederlanden sichert eine schnelle Erfassung aller eintretenden Änderungen (z.B The registration made it possible to remove Jews from the Netherlands the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung (Central Office for Jewish Emigration) was established for this purpose Preliminary proof of registration in the name of Isidor Heinrich Grünberg Isidor Heinrich Grünberg was the director of a coat factory he became a cutter at a ladies’ fashion store.He was gassed in Auschwitz on 30 September 1942 and so were his wife Hilde and their daughter Stefanie Registration certificate for 'persons of full or partial Jewish blood' he fled to Switzerland but was arrested at the Franco-Swiss border and imprisoned in Drancy transit camp in France he was deported to the Sobibor extermination camp There he continued to paint; he even painted portraits of the camp commanders He was killed in the camp in September 1943 Back of the registration certificate for 'persons of full or partial Jewish blood' Replica How do you recreate a world-famous symbol An exhibition on the life of Anne Frank will open in New York on January 27 eighty years after the liberation of Auschwitz The rooms of the people in hiding are impeccably recreated But the New York Annex differs from the Amsterdam original in a few striking ways that we are never allowed to go outside and I am very afraid that we will be discovered and then get shot,” Anne Frank writes in her diary in the late summer of 1942 She and her family have only been in hiding at 263 Prinsengracht for a few weeks in backyards another house was built – an annex the attic window was the only connection to the outside world together with her fellow hider Peter van Pels she wrote in the winter of 1944: “We both looked at the blue sky the chestnut tree on whose branches little droplets glittered at the seagulls and the other birds that in their skipping flight seemed like silver.”  Anne Frank’s famous Annex was built as early as the eighteenth century On the Prinsengracht-canal her father Otto which people can use to make their own jam Otto brought his family from Frankfurt to Amsterdam and the persecution of Jews was increasing But after the German invasion of the Netherlands their home at Merwedeplein was no longer safe either mother Edith and Anne packed their belongings and walked – “in the pouring rain” – through the city to Otto’s office her father had secretly converted the rooms behind the company into living quarters the months before “All the cardboard boxes […] were on the floor and on the beds The small room was filled to the ceiling with bedding,” Anne wrote on July 10 A revolving bookcase closed off the family’s living space from the inhabited world their living space  was no larger than the second and third floors of the Annex – Het Achterhuis in Dutch “She closed the door behind us and we were alone.”  the Annex is recreated in detail and on display as part of an exhibition about the Frank family the persecution of the Jews and Otto Frank’s lonely return to Amsterdam They took some eight thousand pictures in the original Annex the construction is attached to the floor of the Center for Jewish History visitors enter through the revolving bookcase the two floors of the Annex are placed side by side This will be the walking route for visitors in New York are made of fire-retardant building panels And the rooms of the other family in hiding (Van Pels) are one floor higher in Amsterdam while in New York everything is built at ground level Visitors there can simply walk from one room to the other Passages are also widened to make the rooms accessible for the disabled To convey the cramped experience of the people in hiding the replica has ceilings and they were not left open as a symbol of the emptiness he felt as the sole survivor: “During the war everything was taken out and I want to leave it that way,” he said in 1960 at the opening of The Annex There is no furniture and there are no beds books and a cat basket – visitors in New York get an idea of how the people in hiding lived The Anne Frank House sent about a hundred authentic items to America including a photo album of Anne but also the bag Otto Frank owned in Auschwitz The rest of the furnishings were gathered by the set designers Those pieces date from the occupation years but did not belong to any of the families in hiding The Anne Frank House primarily selected collection pieces that show the Frank family’s special connection to the United States Otto was an intern at Macy’s department store in New York and he wrote many letters to friends in the country The Frank family had been trying to emigrate since 1938 is the only country we can go to,” Otto wrote a friend due to lack of time and too much bureaucracy he was forced to go into hiding and choose The Annex in 1942 his daughter Anne decorated the walls of her bedroom with pictures or postcards she receives or cuts from magazines In the popular title Libelle she finds pictures of movie stars later she also pastes clippings of works of art or mythological figures – with “glue pot and brush.” The walls are also recreated in detail in New York Below you can see the wall above Anne’s bed August 1944 – the Allies advance after D-Day the south of the Netherlands is about to be liberated But to no avail for the Frank family: they are discovered A Nazi officer and three Dutch agents order the hiders to grab a few possessions and force them out they are transported to Auschwitz via Westerbork later finds Anne’s diaries in the empty Annex and gives it to Otto Frank after his return “I want to do something that makes people remember me,” Anne wrote visitors can experience what her world was like the diary first gained international attention with the premiere of the play The Diary of Anne Frank Until the end of April Anne Frank: The Exhibition– 700 square feet in all – runs here against the backdrop of the rise and fall of the Nazis Text: Sander WarmerdamVideo and photography The Annex Amsterdam: Olivier Middendorp Video Center of Jewish history: Marissa Alper Graphics and animations: Roland Blokhuizen and Pepijn Barnard Final editing: David Garvelink Photo editor: Paula van AkkerenEditorial Design: Sanne van GriensvenWith the cooperation of the Anne Frank House This is a translation of an article originally published in Dutch. Find the original article here U kunt ons met dit formulier daarover informeren Berichten over andere zaken dan taalfouten of feitelijke onjuistheden worden niet gelezen we analyze whether the American image of Anne Frank connects to her self-posture in her life narrative 'Het Achterhuis' Since there is little connection between the two we conclude that the American image has become a myth What were you doing when you were thirteen years old I was just going to my first year of high school and still played with Barbies after school there were times when kids in the Netherlands weren’t so free and fortunate Someone who wasn’t able to travel or even go to school at thirteen was Anne Frank.  Anne is a German-Dutch girl who became famous for her life narrative ‘Het Achterhuis’ (translation: the Secret Annex), which was published after her death in 1947 by her father Otto Frank as the only Holocaust survivor of the family Frank. When Anne got a diary on her thirteenth birthday, shortly after that, on the sixth of July, 1942, the Frank family went into hiding in the Secret Annex (“Who was Anne Frank”, n.d.) the Secret Annex was discovered by the Gestapo and the family got arrested and split up in different concentration camps Anne died of typhus in concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.  It could tell us something about how society copes with history and meaning-making Therefore I questioned: could the American image of Anne Frank be based on a myth or does it connect to her posture in her life narrative ‘ Het Achterhuis’ most biographies or mediates create an image for Anne based on the posture she represented us in her book ‘Het Achterhuis’ or other short stories.  What makes this article on the persona of Frank so complex is the way her image and extraordinary story are inseparably connected to her authorship “an almost inseparable connection between the author’s life and work” often comes with a status of celebrity in authorship — like Anne’s literary work is her life and her life is her work Anne never got a chance to present herself in public after receiving the role of a published author her character or posture leaves a lot of room for interpretation and idealization (Sion that those elaborated connections themselves became a worthy phenomenon of wide-ranging engagement: the Anne Frank Phenomenon (Shandler Although many factors might have influenced the creation of this phenomenon most are believing to attend one of Anne’s last wishes:“I want to go on living even after my death And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift this possibility of developing myself and of writing of expressing all that is in me.” (Frank as cited by Shandler which now proved to be rather iconic as she stands the test of time is something she always dreamed of (Shandler 1995) since that comes closest to her actual self-presentation Our article begins with a plea of the Jewish activist group Never Again Action to release all detainees from an ICE detention center in New York. They are using Anne Frank, not only to compare her situation to that of the detainees but also to make the statement: “Without decisive action, [governors] Cuomo and Baker could create a humanitarian crisis that could cause the death of innocents” (Grisar, 2020) they are also indicating their use of Anne’s image as a protagonist of human rights to give force and a more striking effect to their statement.  Therefore we could say that youngsters learn about Anne in their childhood and take that connection with them into adulthood can reach the youth and touch adults with their message we could say Anne’s image is not only used for messages on victimhood but also as a tool to reach a broader public.  To conclude we can say that Anne Frank’s image created by the Americans mainly highlights those aspects that are relatable to a broad public and put her onto a pedestal as a role-model for younger voices and human rights we will take a look at three diary entries of ‘Het Achterhuis’ (Frank 1995). All selected entries are out of the year 1994: January sixth When we start looking at our first entry in January She starts with: “Today I have two things to confess It feels like we (the readers) are her friend she is telling her thoughts to us in confinement which immediately gives a feeling of intimacy and creates a bond between the writer and reader In this entry Anne tells us about her difficult relationship with her mom and her changing body and personality during puberty this day Anne is telling about her menstruation as something dear to her: “Whenever I get my period (...) I have the feeling that despite all the pain I’m carrying around a sweet secret” (Frank and her ‘period’ is a physical sign of Anne growing from little girl to woman it stands out how Anne’s way of writing changed this day gives her a reason to progress into a different style she goes on to explain the general situation in the Netherlands at that time and how the war in itself is increasing (with bombings on IJmuiden and the invasion of the Germans) that led to this change is the following:  speaking on the Dutch broadcast from London said that after the war a collection would be made of diaries and letters dealing with the war Just imagine how interesting it would be if I were to publish a novel about the Secret Annex” (Frank This leads us to believe Anne’s intentions are not as ‘innocent’ as generally described.   Anne emphasizes how much she wants to be a writer and gives us some insight into how she plans to become a great one she could learn and improve: “I’m my best and harshest critic The result of her document proves we could say Anne was capable of looking at her own work rationally to improve her writing indirectly her work reflects her moral principles Therefore being critical of her work meant also being critical of how she could improve as a person (Charnow Although the overall tone of this entry is quite light-hearted when we look more closely at her sentences in this sentence “When I write I can shake off all my cares she also admits she has a lot of worries and sorrow that she does not seem to be able to shake off otherwise Followed up with: “...will I ever become a journalist or a writer?” Anne is not always as positive as she leads on to believe Although these selected passages can never showcase every piece of Anne’s posture and how she presented herself Her sensitivity is confirmed through her detailed description of her feelings. Her continuous reflectiveness — most often rational sometimes harsh — on her personality and her work as a writer proven by the fact that she started editing and rewriting earlier diary entries and formulating a prologue dated June 20 As we lay both lists of met criteria (of the image and posture of Anne Frank) next to each other we see that each contains a different focus Whereas her image talks about Anne’s development and perceptivity If we are to look at what other character traits are appointed or visible Her image tends to focus mostly on familiarity whereas the posture of Anne can be extended with traits like positivity Although they both entail the criteria of development we can conclude that Anne’s American image and posture do not connect.  Something that might have helped this disconnection is the ignorance of Anne’s wishes on the publication of her life narrative Anne was very aware of a potential audience and did write ‘Het Achterhuis’ with the intention to be published In her diary she wrote down how she decided to title her book: “The title alone [the Secret Annex] would make people think it was a detective story” (Frank contrary to the American image of an ‘ever-developing’ Anne countries like the United States did feel the urge to change the title from ‘Het Achterhuis’ — Frank’s preferred title — to a name with the word ‘diary’ in it (Shandler the public is “foregrounding the author and the genre” (Shandler connecting Anne’s name to her writing and therefore strengthening her idealization and myth-status However, only criticizing the American image of Anne Frank wouldn’t be right. It is no secret that ‘Het Achterhuis’ is not only the work of Anne herself but also that of her father, Otto Frank since he is the one who regulated her story intensely after Anne’s death (Anne Frank House the life narrative was edited by multiple editors to develop from diary to typescript calling ‘Het Achterhuis’ unauthentic and therefore unable to represent the posture of Anne In the last diary entry of ‘Het Achterhuis’ Anne explains how this came to be:  … I'm afraid that people who know me as I usually am will discover I have another side a better and finer side … I know exactly how I'd like to be But unfortunately I'm only like that with myself” (Frank Meaning, Anne did choose to present herself differently, more like the person she wants to be. Otto Frank confirmed this by explaining he was very surprised when reading Anne’s diary after the war: “It is quite a different Anne I had known as my daughter” (Anne Frank House She was much more serious than how he knew her during her life.  Critical Thinking:  Scholars Reread the Diary (1995). The diary of a young girl: the definitive edition (1st ed.) Authorship Revisited Conceptions of Authorship around 1900 and 2000 (2000) Introduction: the charismatic illusion Alumnus Art & Media Studies at Tilburg University | Graduated BA in Graphic Design (BE) and BA Communication and Multimedia Design (NL) Our newsletter arrives every Monday with fresh reviews Philip Miller’s work often addresses social injustice he explored the life and work of Anne Frank and its contemporary significance with twenty schoolgirls from the township of Masiphumelele near Cape Town and translated it into music They were also inspired by Anne Frank’s Book of Beautiful Sentences: sentences that Anne Frank copied from books she read in the Secret Annex The final artistic result integrates the voices The Anne Frank Stichting invites artists to express their views on the life and work of Anne Frank artistically the French writer Lola Lafon spent a night in the Secret Annex and wrote about the experience in her book Quand tu écouteras cette chanson (‘When you listen to this song’) we hope to offer current and future generations new perspectives on the life and work of Anne Frank The special evenings at the Anne Frank House are aimed at young people In collaboration with the Amsterdam Museum Night Foundation we hope to bring this art project to the attention of young people in and outside of Amsterdam The collaboration with ‘matchmaker’ Amsterdam Museum Night Foundation helped make Finding Beauty possible as did the AFK’s support (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts) The COVID-19 measures at the museum are still in effect With a limited number of visitors per time slot the silence and emptiness of the Anne Frank House can be experienced even more intensely than before You will have the tiny rooms of the Secret Annex behind the bookcase more or less to yourself You can see the original remnants of life in hiding from up close: the map of Normandy on which Otto Frank kept track of the invasion the pencilled height marks on the wallpaper for his daughters Margot and Anne and the postcards and pictures of movie stars that Anne taped to the walls of her bedroom you can pore over Anne’s original diary papers we provide information about the events that took place in Germany in the 1930s and about the persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands We also tell you about the life of Anne Frank You can book an introductory workshop to start off your visit to the museum we take you through the history of Anne Frank in the context of the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews The Anne Frank House is open every day of the week. Please check our website for opening hours. The start time of your visit is fixed (a 15-minute time slot), but once you’re inside the museum, you can take your time. Your safety is our priority, so we observe the Dutch COVID-19 guidelines, and wearing a face mask is mandatory. You can order your tickets, with or without an introductory workshop, at the ticket page. After casting their votes in the entrance hall the place where Anne Frank went into hiding and wrote her diary The Anne Frank House believes it is important that young people in particular go out to vote. The ability to cast your vote and express your opinion are essential for participating in a democracy. Under the slogan ‘Democracy only works when everyone participates’ and the hashtags #doemeecratie and #democracyisyours, we are calling attention to this on our social media. The team concludes that Anne Frank and the other seven people in hiding at Prinsengracht 263 were very probably ('with 85% certainty') discovered because of the actions of the Jewish notary Arnold van den Bergh, a member of the Jewish Council, who they say may have handed over the addresses of people in hiding to the Nazis in an attempt to protect himself and his family. This conclusion has triggered worldwide controversy and stirred up strong emotions. In any event, we have questions concerning several crucial elements of the theory: the copied letter, the role of Otto Frank, what is known about Van den Bergh in 1944 and – most importantly – whether the Jewish Council held lists of the addresses of Jews in hiding and, if these lists did exist, whether Prinsengracht 263 was included in one of them. The copied letter: The cold case team has made a fascinating discovery with the letter retyped by Otto Frank accusing Van den Bergh. However, some unanswered questions remain: Where is the original? Who wrote the letter, and with what intention? Otto Frank: When and how did Otto Frank acquire the letter? It is hard to see how Otto Frank could have been given the letter in 1945. Why would he seek the prosecution of another suspect in 1948 if he was in possession of information that pointed to someone else? What significance did Otto Frank attach to the letter? And why would he not have shared it with other people, including his confidant Johannes Kleiman? Van den Bergh: The last known mention of Van den Bergh during the war dates from February 1944. Where was he after that, and what was he doing in the crucial period in which, according to the cold case team, he shared the list of addresses of people in hiding with the occupying Nazis? Beware of trivializing the Holocaust(An article written by Ronald Leopold executive director of the Anne Frank House)  He was supported in his efforts by Amsterdam Mayor Van Hall who called on the Dutch population to support the Anne Frank House financially the Anne Frank House could once again use the public’s support I shall work in the world and for mankind!’ Anne Frank wrote in her diary on 11 April 1944 Otto Frank was the driving force behind the publication of the diary written by his daughter and behind the opening of the Anne Frank House his previous business premises and hiding place he was assisted by a committee of prominent Amsterdammers The Anne Frank House organisation was established in 1957 and its main purpose was to preserve the hiding place and open it to the public And to promote the ideals of Anne Frank in the process The purchase and restoration of the property required an amount of 350,000 guilders Amsterdam Mayor Van Hall put an advertisement in de Volkskrant in which he called on the Dutch population to contribute to the project ‘The Anne Frank House must be preserved as a symbol of courage and trust in people in the midst of the deadly threats of our times.’ and the Anne Frank House opened its doors to the public Otto Frank spoke emotional words of thanks: the number of visitors to the Anne Frank House grew almost continuously From several tens of thousands in the first years to 1.3 million visitors in 2019 People from all over the world come to the Anne Frank House and and Fritz Pfeffer hid from the Nazis for over two years Anne Frank described this period in an evocative way in her diary which was left behind in the hiding place after the arrest on 4 August 1944 the Anne Frank House has been forced to close its doors explains: ‘The world is going through an unprecedented crisis which has an enormous impact on people everywhere and on the Anne Frank House as well As part of the global effort to stop the dissemination of the Coronavirus we have had to close the museum on 13 March It is not yet clear when and how the Anne Frank House will reopen As an independent museum that is not subsidised by the state or the city we rely to a large extent on the revenues from museum visits for our income If we are to continue to spread the memory of Anne Frank and her father’s mission Many people have told us that they feel that the Anne Frank House and our educational work are important If you decide to make a donation to the Anne Frank House The annex at Prinsengracht 263 opened its doors to the public on 3 May 1960 The main building was furnished to accommodate exhibitions and a documentation centre it had been emptied by the Nazis and he wanted to keep it that way Otto Frank said: ‘I apologise for not speaking from this house after today You will understand that the memories of everything that happened here are too powerful I can only thank you all for the interest you have shown in coming here And I hope that you will continue to support the work of the Anne Frank House and the International Youth Centre meant to comfort those of us struggling with being stuck at home for so many weeks: “Anne Frank was forced to stay in a space that measured about 450 square feet if refugees and war heroes endured so much throughout history if Jews survived not only years of hiding but even concentration camps I can endure a few months of social distancing together with my spouse and children or get frustrated when my online order isn’t delivered as promised She was struggling with how she would endure the long hours of the holiday she would not be using her phone or computer during the three-day marathon festival that was the onset of the holiday She told me she kept hearing her mother’s voice in her ears “Bubbe’s family had it much worse,” my friend reminded me – reminding herself They celebrated Passover in the Warsaw Ghetto But I don’t believe in first-world problems This is our way of saying we don’t have the right to be upset We are not allowed to be frustrated or sad the Jewish community commemorates Yom HaShoah I count myself and my own family in this trauma – my mother grew up in the shadows of grandparents aunts and uncles who were murdered in Poland A viral pandemic is not the moral ugliness of Nazi Germany and my modern struggles pale in comparison you’ll see that while she certainly worried about her survival she was also concerned much of the time with what we might call first-world problems Love wrote about a psychologist friend of hers working with a group of Cambodian refugees The psychologist was shocked to find that the refugees all simply wanted to talk about their relationship issues with their husbands and wives It is strange to think that even under the most extreme conditions people focus on these supposedly first-world problems Perhaps this is one way they cling to their humanity – these petty problems are in fact universal and human; they bring a sense of normalcy amidst a storm As a public service during this pandemic, the Forward is providing free, unlimited access to all coronavirus articles. If you’d like to support our independent Jewish journalism, click here taking away personal items such as eyeglasses But even in the midst of death and despair some prisoners spent their spare time exchanging recipes that they used to love to cook creating art with materials they managed to cobble together in a section that was reserved for families parents made toys for their children out of rags or wood These Jews were focusing on what made them human There are many who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease There are medical workers putting their lives on the line not suffered losses and are not risking our lives but who still might be struggling with the smaller challenges of daily existence I have friends who are concerned that their roots are growing in and they can’t get a hair dye job I know others who so miss drinking scotch with their buddies that they are drinking together over Zoom Yom HaShoah is a reminder to be deeply grateful for all that we have for the freedom to practice our Judaism openly and without persecution we can use this moment in time to understand the importance of the small pleasures in life experiences of love and heartbreak – Holocaust victims knew these feelings Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold is the director of education at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim and the president of the Montreal Board of Rabbis I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association You could say that Anne Frank was one of more than 6 million “hostages” taken from their homes by the Nazis eight decades ago she and the rest of her family — just like those 240-plus Israelis on Oct they were forcibly removed and headed — not to a secret Hamas hiding place but first to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland and later to Bergen-Belsen in Germany the devastating impact on their lives was just as profound Except for one thing: None of the Israeli hostages most of whom remain in captivity by Hamas and other terrorist sympathizers dreams and fears while hiding in the cramped secret annex of the Amsterdam building where her father had run his business The teenager who was 15 when she died in 1945 — not long before the Allies liberated some of the prisoners from the camps — might be 94 today had she remained in good health she would’ve gone on to raise a family and live a productive life Her brief life and those thoughts of what might’ve been were rekindled during a summer visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam which has turned into a tourist attraction over the years That adds up to more than 1.4 million a year You must buy them exactly six weeks ahead of when you plan to visit — and they go quickly in early July there was nothing available on the website until 7 p.m You get off the tram at the Westermarkt stop and almost immediately come to an area where you’ll find an Anne Frank statue adorned with flowers in front meet up with friends or check out the gift shop which is set apart from the museum in the section of the building where Otto Frank worked The line for entry to the museum itself starts forming outside well before the time stamped on your ticket You walk through the entrance doors up the steps into what looks like a classroom That’s where you see a timeline of Hitler’s and the Nazis’ rise to power and how it impacted the Frank family her three-years-older sister Margot and their parents before moving to Amsterdam in 1933 when Otto decided it was no longer safe for them as Jews You hear how he ran his business in the storefront at Prinsengracht 263 while Anne and Margot went to school The timeline explains how things began to change in 1940 once the Germans took occupation of the Netherlands Otto Frank lost his company when Jews were forbidden from running businesses Anne and Margot were then forced to go to a school strictly for Jews Jews were forced to wear a Star of David on their clothing after Margot was told to report to a “labor camp,” Otto decided they were no longer safe and it was time for his family to go into hiding he set up the upstairs portion of his factory in the back as a refuge The entrance was blocked by a revolving bookcase That enabled them to go about their business although they remained as silent as possible during the day to not be discovered by the workers The Franks went into hiding in that secret annex on July 6 They were soon joined by Otto’s friend Hermann van pels her family and the rest never would’ve survived for more than two years if not for outside help Jan Gies and Johan Voskuijl) and two women (Voskuijl’s daughter Bep and Gies wife They risked their own safety to help whenever and however they could A few weeks before the Franks went into hiding Anne received a red-checked diary on her 13th birthday was the renowned diary Jewish children learn about in Hebrew school It’s when we first hear the story of Anne Frank and wonder how this was all possible Whether you’ve read her diary or seen the 1959 movie based on it According to the young Dutch woman who conducted the audio tour and was not Jewish she was around 9 when she first heard about it Museum officials say they have no idea how many of those million-plus annual visitors are Jewish hearing a haunting 1960 recording made by Otto Frank upon seeing his factory and the place where he hid his family until they were captured by the Gestapo on Aug as it’s marked outside the green front door it’s finally time to see where Anne and her family hid The anticipation has built for this moment ever since the trip was booked months ago Before entering through the same bookcase that kept them protected you find an array of photos — including ones Anne pasted on the wall of her room that she shared with Fritz Pfeffer — videos and quotes on the walls in every room There are interviews with some of the helpers who tell what it was like who held on to Anne’s diary and other writing after she was captured and eventually handed them to Otto Frank when he returned from captivity in 1945 and learned that his daughters had died you’ll even see the original wall markings that charted Anne and Margot’s growth as well as a memorial book listing the names of all Jewish victims deported from the Netherlands during the war It doesn’t take long to go through the museum wondering how eight people lived in such a confined space for so long it gives you a truer appreciation of their ordeal This is what Anne Frank wrote about in her diary This is what kept her going as she imagined what her life might be like under different circumstances “We’re all searching for happiness,” she wrote “We’re all leading lives that are different and yet the same.” who sadly was not rescued like many of the Israelis already have been her home remains a reminder of the rampant antisemitism and cruelty so prevalent at that time it would surely sadden Anne Frank to realize that not much has changed since Jon Marks is a Philadelphia-area freelance writer and website in this browser for the next time I comment holding a revolver that was pointed at me.’Miep Gies Anne Frank Magazine (1998)Karl Josef Silberbauer is in chargeFriday 4 August 1944 was a warm and sunny day in Amsterdam more than two years since the day Anne and her family had entered the hiding place on 6 July 1942 Between half past ten and eleven in the morning police officers showed up at the building at Prinsengracht 263 SS Hauptscharführer Karl Josef Silberbauer was in charge the officers addressed employee Willem van Maaren knew that there were people in hiding in the building the office staff were working when the door suddenly opened Helper Miep Gies was one of the office staff holding a revolver that was pointed at me.’ The police officers walked into Victor Kugler's office: as the managing director he was responsible for the business operations They questioned him and took him with them to search the building ‘I said to myself: as long as it is only a house search’After the war Kugler said: ‘The police went upstairs to the storeroom in the main building and they asked what we kept in all those crates I said to myself: if it is only a house search they also came to the landing with the revolving bookcase Casual observers would not notice that there was an entire house hidden behind the bookcase but the police officers discovered the entrance to the Secret Annex and the Van Pels family all stood there with their hands up in the air.’Otto Frank 1958.Anne's diary papers fall to the groundThe people in hiding were completely taken by surprise For more than two years they had been living with the constant fear of discovery Otto: ‘I was upstairs with the Van Pels family in Peter's room Suddenly someone came running up the stairs and then the door opened and there was a man right in front of us with a pistol in his hand and the Van Pels family all stood there with their hands up in the air.’ Fritz Pfeffer was also taken into the room The people in hiding had to hand in their valuables and emptied it out to put the valuables in Anne's diary papers fell to the wooden floor What happens to the people in hiding after their hiding place is discovered Police officers take the helpers and the people from the Secret Annex awayHelpers Victor Kugler and Johannes Kleiman were arrested together with the eight people from the Secret Annex it was around 1 pm: the raid had taken a little over two hours came by to have lunch with the people in hiding Miep warned him about the presence of the police officers and Jan immediately left and went back to his place of work He decided to go to the brother of helper Johannes they walked to the bridge on the other side of the canal from where they saw the people from the Secret Annex and their helpers getting into the police van InterrogationThe group of eight was taken to the SD building on the Euterpestraat The officers locked them in a large room with the arrested helpers The officers tried to find out if the helpers or people from the Secret Annex knew of other hiding addresses Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler kept silent Otto Frank said that after 25 months in the Secret Annex they had lost all contact with friends and acquaintances and therefore knew nothing Then the people from the Secret Annex and the helpers were separated Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler were taken to the detention centre at the Amstelveenseweg the eight people from the Secret Annex to the detention centre at the Weteringschans Bep and I went upstairs to the Franks' bedrooms (...) And there we saw Anne’s diary papers all over the floor.’Miep GiesMiep and Bep find Anne's diarySome time after the arrest helpers Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl went to the Secret Annex with Willem van Maaren Anne's diary papers were still scattered on the floor Bep and I went upstairs to the Franks' bedrooms And there we saw Anne’s diary papers all over the floor.’ Miep and Bep picked up the papers and took them to the office When he returned to Amsterdam after the liberation A cold case team that combed through evidence for five years may have solved one of World War II’s enduring mysteries: Who betrayed Jewish teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family is that it most likely was a Jewish lawyer called Arnold van den Bergh answers questions next to the passage to the secret annex during an interview in Amsterdam answers questions next to a map showing the geographical spread of the Jewish community in the capital in May 1941 who came up with the idea of pulling together a cold case team to analyze evidence in the hunt for the person who betrayed Anne and her family answers questions during an interview in Amsterdam FILE- Journalist takes images of pictures of Anne Frank at the renovated Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam A cold case team that combed through evidence for five years may have solved one of World War II’s enduring mysteries: Who betrayed Jewish teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family FILE- A woman enters the secret annex at the renovated Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam FILE - The chestnut tree which comforted Anne Frank while she hid from the Nazis during World War II is seen from the attic window in the secret annex at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam AMSTERDAM (AP) — A cold case team that combed through evidence for five years in a bid to unravel one of World War II’s enduring mysteries has reached what it calls the “most likely scenario” of who betrayed Jewish teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family outlined in a new book called “The Betrayal of Anne Frank A Cold Case Investigation,” by Canadian academic and author Rosemary Sullivan is that it could have been a prominent Jewish notary called Arnold van den Bergh who disclosed the secret annex hiding place of the Frank family to German occupiers to save his own family from deportation and murder in Nazi concentration camps “We have investigated over 30 suspects in 20 different scenarios leaving one scenario we like to refer to as the most likely scenario,” said film maker Thijs Bayens who had the idea to put together the cold case team that was led by retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke “There is no smoking gun because betrayal is circumstantial,” Bayens told The Associated Press on Monday The Franks and four other Jews hid in the annex reached by a secret staircase hidden behind a bookcase from July 1942 until they were discovered in August 1944 and deported to concentration camps Anne and her sister died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp The diary Anne wrote while in hiding was published after the war and became a symbol of hope and resilience that has been translated into dozens of languages and read by millions But the identity of the person who gave away the location of their hiding place has always remained a mystery The team’s findings suggest that Otto Frank was one of the first to hear about the possible involvement of Van den Bergh a prominent member of the Jewish community in Amsterdam a typed copy of an anonymous tip delivered to Otto Frank after the war as the person who informed German authorities in Amsterdam where to find the Frank family The note was an overlooked part of a decades-old Amsterdam police investigation that was reviewed by the team which used artificial intelligence to analyze and draw links between archives around the world The Anne Frank House museum in the canal-side Amsterdam building that includes the secret annex welcomed the new research but said it also leaves questions unanswered The museum gave the researchers access to its archives for the cold case project I don’t think we can say that a mystery has been solved now I think it’s an interesting theory that the team came up with,” said museum director Ronald Leopold “I think they come up with a lot of interesting information but I also think there are still many missing pieces of the puzzle And those pieces need to be further investigated in order to see how we can value this new theory.” Bayens said the hunt for the betrayer was also a way of looking for an explanation of how the horror of the Nazi occupation forced some members of a once close-knit Amsterdam community to turn on one another How did facism bring people “to the desperate point of betraying each other “We went looking for a perpetrator and we found a victim,” Bayens said The Anne Frank House organisation has learned of this with shock and revulsion The Secret Annex is where Anne Frank went into in hiding and wrote her diary The diary of Anne Frank is one of the most important testimonies of the persecution of the Jews during the Second World War With the projection and the video the perpetrators are attacking the authenticity of Anne Frank's diary and inciting hatred We are acutely aware of what this means for the Jewish community and for the city of Amsterdam as a whole The Anne Frank House has reported the incident to the police and is in contact with Amsterdam City Council the Amsterdam police and the Public Prosecution Service From extreme right-wing circles comes the claim that Anne Frank’s diary is a forgery because it was allegedly partly written with a ballpoint pen (which only came into use after the Second World War) With this they attempt to question or deny the existence of the Holocaust Much research has been done into the authenticity of the diary of Anne Frank and its authenticity has been conclusively established was the target of an antisemitic projection this week Antisemitic text implying that Anne Frank's diary was a forgery was projected onto the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam this week, the museum announced in a statement "The Anne Frank House organisation has learned of this with shock and revulsion," the museum said The projection on the house where the Frank family hid during World War II read It alludes to a debunked far-right conspiracy theory that the diary was a forgery because part of it was written in ballpoint pen, which were not yet in use while Anne lived. The theory was meticulously and scientifically disproven by the Dutch government This false claim is used to question or deny the Holocaust Footage of the projection appeared in a hate video in a private Telegram group from the U.S. Dutch police said they are investigating the incident The museum says it is in touch with authorities and the Amsterdam City Council Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the projection "reprehensible" and said there's "no place for antisemitism in our country" on Twitter Anne was a Jewish girl who kept a diary while in hiding with her family for about two years during World War II survived the Holocaust and published her diary which has since sold more than 30 million copies and been translated into dozens of languages "The diary of Anne Frank is one of the most important testimonies of the persecution of the Jews during the Second World War," the museum's statement says Become an NPR sponsor Miep Gies was born on 15 February 1909 in Vienna (Austria) as Hermine Santrouschitz The Santrouschitz family was Catholic and not well-off Because there was not a lot of food available after the First World War Her family therefore decided to make use of a relief project for Austrian children: in December 1920 they put 11-year-old Miep on the train to the Netherlands to become healthier Miep turns Dutch and stays on with her foster parents Miep ended up in Leiden where the Nieuwenburg family lovingly received her the family moved to Amsterdam and Miep’s biological parents eventually decided that Miep was so much at home in the Netherlands that it would be better for her to stay there she started working as a typist in an embroidery and pleating workshop her upstairs neighbour knew of another opportunity: she worked as a representative for Otto Frank's business and arranged for an interview with Otto who was just setting up his Opekta business As soon as she had mastered the jam-making process she was promoted to the ‘Opekta Information Service': the firm’s customer service where she answered questions by phone and mail We did our human duty: helping people in need’Miep Gies Anne Frank Magazine 1998Miep decides to helpMiep had met Jan Gies in her first job The two got romantically involved and on 16 July 1941 Jan was working as a social worker  with Social Services of the municipality of Amsterdam Then one day Otto called Miep in and informed her of the plans to go into hiding He asked Miep if she would be willing to help him and his family if they had to go into hiding in the Secret Annex Cycling to the Secret Annex with MargotWhen Margot received a call-up on 5 July 1942 Otto and Edith Frank decided to go into hiding the next day so that they could bring things for the hiding place Together they cycled to Otto's company on the Prinsengracht Once they were settled in the hiding place, they quickly established a routine. The helpers divided the work, with Miep taking care of the meat and vegetables. In her diary, Anne wrote: ‘Miep is just like a pack mule, she fetches and carries so much. Almost every day she manages to get hold of some vegetables for us brings everything in shopping bags on her bicycle.’ In addition Miep brought the people in hiding library books or people might have grown suspicious.’Miep Gies Anne Frank Magazine 1998‘I'm writing about you too’In addition to the daily care for the eight people in hiding (the Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer joined the Frank family in the Secret Annex) the work for the company had to continue as normal as possible At the same time, Miep and Jan Gies were hiding someone in their own home from May 1943 onwards. Kuno van der Horst, a 23-year-old student, went into hiding with the Gies family because he had refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the Nazis. One day she interrupted Anne while she was writing ‘She gave me a look that I will never forget The only thing I could think of was: “I’m sure it’ll be lovely.”’  headed by SS-Hauptscharführer Karl Josef Silberbauer as well as their helpers Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler When Miep and Bep later went to the Secret Annex to see if they could save some personal belongings of the people in hiding they found Anne's notebooks and papers on the floor Miep and Bep gathered everything up and Miep decided to keep the papers in a desk drawer hoping one day to be able to return them to Anne After the arrest Miep made a last desperate attempt to free the people who had been arrested She took a big risk and walked into the headquarters of the Sicherheitsdienst there was a glimmer of light: to the great relief of those left behind on the Prinsengracht Johannes Kleiman was released after just a few weeks Miep and the other helpers kept the business running They hoped for the return of the eight people from the Secret Annex ‘This is the legacy of your daughter Anne’Miep Gies 1993Miep hands the diary to OttoOn 5 May 1945 ‘You can stay with us for as long as you wish,’ Miep told him Otto would stay with Jan and Miep for more than seven years When it became clear in mid-July 1945 that Anne had died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp After the publication of the diary in 1947, Otto urged Miep to read the book. She only read it after his prolonged insistence. ‘I was glad that I had not read the book straight after the arrest, (...) when it was sitting in my desk drawer. If I had, I would have had to burn it, because it was too dangerous for the people Anne wrote about.’ By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org The fuss illustrated how Jews in Western Europe are affected by a debate usually focused on Muslims AMSTERDAM (JTA) — When Barry Vingerling asked his employers at the Anne Frank House whether it was okay for him to start coming to work wearing a kippah “I hadn’t expected this to be an issue,” Vingerling, 25, told the Dutch-Jewish NIW weekly in an interview Should I have to hide mine in that same house?” His bosses’ answer to this question appeared to be “yes.” Suggesting at first that he wear a hat on top of his skullcap they dithered for six months on whether to allow it before Vingerling forced their hand by wearing a kippah without permission the Anne Frank House said it did not have a policy on the wearing of religious symbols by employees and that it needed a few months to hammer out one They finally announced last week that they would allow employees to wear religious symbols to work Vingerling’s predicament may have had a happy ending But the fuss nonetheless illustrates how Jews in Western Europe are affected by a debate usually focused on Muslims In the Netherlands, a 2015 law made it illegal to wear face-covering clothes in schools and hospitals, government buildings and public transportation. Belgium has an even stricter policy since 2011 In 2016, local authorities in France banned the wearing of a full-body bathing suit popularly known as the “burkini,” favored by some devout Muslim women Those bans divided French society — and its Jewish community – in an acrimonious debate the head rabbi of the Grand Synagogue of Paris said the burkini was a “political statement.” But opponents said the ban was a dangerous encroachment on religious liberties that could affect French Jews the kippah issue pitted two key institutions preserving the memory of Anne Frank against each other a foundation set up by Anne Frank’s father and which holds the copyright for her diary criticized the Anne Frank House for its handling of the affair “Otto Frank always wanted to establish in the former annex a meeting place for young people from all over the world with their different routes to talk about peace the future and living together,” Yves Kugelamann a spokesperson for the Anne Frank Fonds in Basel told JTA when queried about Vingerling’s case “This should be respected and acknowledged.” “everybody is allowed to show his religious background.” He also said his organization “can’t comment [on] other organizations’ policy,” but religious tolerance is how the Frank family “lived in the open-minded Jewish environment in Frankfurt,” where Anne was born The two groups have clashed before on a number of issues including on how to balance Anne Frank’s particularist Jewish identity with some of her universal values the Anne Frank Fonds in Basel is also facing criticism for a different reason – its newly announced cooperation with a controversial organization that funds left-leaning and Arab-rights organizations in Israel The Anne Frank Fonds said earlier this month said it would contribute some of its proceeds to the New Israel Fund The  nonprofit funds groups in Israel like Breaking the Silence made up of veterans who report what they say are violations of the Israeli army’s own policies an Israeli-Arab human rights organization that frequently criticizes the government NIF is also critical of Israel’s plans to deport tens of thousands of African asylum-seekers leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accuse it of working for the “erasure of the Jewish character of Israel.” the Anne Frank Fonds wrote that “the New Israel Fund is the leading organization promoting democracy and equality in Israel,” and that “[t]his partnership with NIF is designed to strengthen Israeli civil society.” Caroline Glick, a right-leaning journalist and Jerusalem Post columnist, criticized the deal in a column for Ma’ariv Friday stating that NIF “seeks to make Israel a country devoid of singular Jewish characteristics,” whereas Frank herself was both a Dutch patriot and a proud Jew Kugelmann declined to say how much money the Anne Frank Fonds will give to the New Israel Fund or whether his group will agree to fund all of the organizations receiving funding from the New Israel Fund including Adallah and Breaking the Silence “We make sure that money is given in the idea and under the conditions of Anne Frank Fonds (mainly social help The Basel-based group has “to approve [each recipient] organization JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent I accept the Privacy Policy. The AI-powered bot is designed to provide people with information on the life story of Anne Frank in a personalized chat conversation, as well as practical visitor information on the Anne Frank House. With over 1 billion users monthly, Messenger is one of the most used mobile platforms globally, and gives the Anne Frank House an opportunity to engage with people around the world in a very personal way. The Anne Frank House is one of the first museums worldwide to use this technology on the Messenger platform. With the introduction of the Anne Frank House bot for Messenger, future visitors can receive personalized and instant answers to questions 24 hours a day. The bot is designed to inspire people to not only absorb visitor-related information, but also to discover educational information about the life of Anne Frank. Ronald Leopold, managing director Anne Frank Foundation: 'We want to share the life story of Anne Frank with as many people as possible. People from all over the world can now receive instant answers to their questions about Anne Frank, her family, Anne's diary, and the era they lived in. With this bot, Facebook Netherlands offers us an innovative possibility to reach a big audience, especially youngsters.' the public prosecution department told Thursday’s court hearing also made a discriminatory video of the laser projection using a drone and spread those images via social media “These actions were, without a doubt, intended to present Anne Frank in bad light, and with her all Jews, the public prosecutor told the court in a strongly worded statement the texts also incite hatred against and discrimination against Jews.” Wilson is a prominent member of the anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi Goyim Defense League and according to the Parool has left a “trail of hatred” all over the globe The projection of the text “Anne Frank invented the ballpoint pen” on the front of the building on Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal in February caused outrage in the Netherlands and abroad The text harks back to long debunked conspiracy theories based on pages covered with ball point pen writing which were left in the diary by a researcher The director of the Anne Frank House described the incident at the time as “a new low in a string of anti-Semitic incidents in the Netherlands” Wilson was not arrested immediately but was tracked down via a Telegram channel called The Laser Nazi which plots out his trip from Poland to Amsterdam and back He had left the US earlier after facing hate crime charges where he has been held in custody since July The projection in Amsterdam was just one of several in the Netherlands early in the year. The most notorious was the projection of racist comments on the Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam during the New Year celebrations. Two Dutch nationals, not thought to be linked to Wilson, were arrested in that case, which has yet to come to court. We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day. Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days! We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here. Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey. The NetherlandsChevron North HollandChevron AmsterdamChevron ChevronChevronPhotosSave this storySaveSave this storySavehours Can you tell us what we'll see here?Permanent displays of personal objects and documents animate the life and times of Anne Frank, her family, and the others who shared their attic hideaway. Tucked beyond a false bookcase, this secret annex is the star draw. Elsewhere, a diary room houses her original red- and green-checked journal, and other equally fascinating manuscripts. Who else are we likely to see here?The museum is positioned as an educational experience, and children are at the heart of that—but no one disturbs the reverent tone. Plenty of visitors do research before their visit, and there’s plenty of fascinating extra-curricular reading on the website (more than inside the museum itself, in fact), as well as a 3D virtual model of the annex. Was the building itself easy to navigate, or would you caution someone with mobility issues from visiting?There’s the odd traffic jam in the narrow corridors and usually a back-up by the bookcase leading to the annex, though you may get lucky, particularly outside of weekends. The stairs to the annex are steep and twisting, and only the new building, with the café and temporary exhibits, is suitable for those with constraints. How about the guided tours—are there any, and should we take one?The free audio guides are logical and easy to use, walking you through each room with excerpts from Anne’s diary and further information on the house’s inhabitants. What about a cafe on site?It’s maybe a little odd to go straight for coffee and cake after witnessing such hard-hitting exhibits, but if you do wish to do so, the café has a fair selection of eats and a prime view of the Prinsengracht canal. It’s bright and light-filled, which allows you to feel both reverent and hopeful. Should we pick anything up on the way out, to remind ourselves of the visit?Expect the diary in 30 languages, including hand-bound versions, and plenty of books on Anne’s life—but mercifully few knick-knacks. And about how long should we expect to take to get through?It takes about an hour to complete a loop of the house, and rarely will 60 minutes have been so well spent. If you want to linger longer, though, there are some incredible videos at the end of the tour. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world We do not keep this information. PRIVACY POLICY Charlotte outside the house in which Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II Anne Frank died at a concentration camp in Nazi Germany tells the story of the hope she clung to as her family hid in a tiny attic in the Netherlands while German soldiers hunted down Jewish families like hers Anne’s diary has made her one of the most famous victims of the Holocaust which claimed millions of lives during World War II I recently traveled to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to visit the Anne Frank House Anne and her family went into hiding there in 1942 when Nazi police burst in and sent them to concentration camps but Anne died in the Bergen-Belsen camp in Nazi Germany When Otto Frank published Anne’s diary in 1947 he fulfilled her dream of becoming a writer The story of a young girl's idealism at a time of war and savagery became a worldwide bestseller It has sold millions of copies and been translated into more than 70 languages a record 1.3 million people visited the Anne Frank House The museum chronicles the details of Anne's life showing her as a real person with hopes and dreams like every young teen The museum leads visitors through the hiding space into a separate building with videos there are images of Anne and quotes from her diary including one of the most famous: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” found her visit to the museum deeply moving “It was interesting how Otto Frank decided to leave the house as it was... He wanted to show people how ruthless the [Nazis] were said that it was important to visit the museum because “in school you learn the basic ideas of the Holocaust but you don’t learn what it was actually like to experience it.” Anne’s original diary is on display in the museum and visitors can watch videotaped interviews of people who knew her many people were moved to tears after bearing witness to a young girl’s life cruelly cut short Charlotte next to a statue across the street from Anne’s apartment The Anne Frank House reinforces a powerful message: Do not judge others based on race As she wrote in her diary: “I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people I want to go on living even after my death.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Daniel Sugarman was a staff reporter for the Jewish Chronicle between June 2016 and October 2019. He tweets @Daniel_Sugarman described his desire to wear a kippah as 'a fundamental moral issue' Daniel Sugarman 2 min readA Jewish employee at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam has said he was prevented from wearing a kippah by the museum authorities because it might “endanger the neutrality” of the foundation had been accepted for a position at the Anne Frank House last year he told the Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad (NIW) that not wearing a kippah had begun to “eat at him” and that he wanted to wear a kippah at work as he had been doing for years in private "I made a request in October and discussed it with the manager,” he said “Then I found out that the policy was not to show any beliefs in the workplace when you come into contact with the public I was shocked because I was not aware of this where Anne Frank was forced to hide because of her identity Mr Vingerling said that his attempts to discuss it with a Rabbi on the advisory board of the museum had left him equally dismayed Rabbi of the Liberal Jewish Congregation of Amsterdam said that “there was no halachic [Jewish law] problem with wearing a hat over a kipah and suggested I wear the hats provided by the museum items of religious clothing cannot be worn openly by employees in public places but that the Anne Frank House was not the right place to insist on it He was told that the museum would discuss the case and give him a definitive answer and that in the meantime he should wear a cap “This is a fundamental moral issue for me," he said “Until recently we didn’t have a policy on this matter… About six months ago we first received a request from an employee [Mr Vingerling] to wear a kipah The Anne Frank House’s code of conduct stipulates that employees who work at the museum must be identifiable to visitors and wear the relevantly marked attire “As a result of the employee’s request to wear a kipah the need for a policy discussion on this matter was raised which was discussed with various departments in the organization… and will take a while [to decide] on the basis of additional inquiry and following consultation with the [museum’s] management and members of the supervisory council we have decided to allow religious symbols to be worn in the museum and at the Anne Frank House store.” which is now a temporary home and work space for refugee writers that's closed to the public Google worked with the Anne Frank House non-profit on the project, which includes the only video known to exist of Frank (captured by chance as she looked out of her window at newlyweds) along with the only known photo of her parents and sister It also includes documents and insights from people who knew her as well as details about her legacy and the publication of her famed diary Justin Bieber is a talented singer, dancer, and large-gold-chain wearer, but his guest-book-signing skills can use some work. “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl,” he wrote in the guest book of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam over the weekend “Hopefully she would have been a belieber.” The message was at once confusing and self-absorbed Would she be a Bieber fan as an elderly woman And why are you even talking about yourself right now As a reminder that not all famous people are only capable of viewing the events of the Holocaust through the lens of their own celebrity here are ten of them who managed to sign the guest book of the Anne Frank House without controversy Steve Spielberg: "Never forget In life and even more in death Anne Frank has held the world in the innocent spell of her truth and wisdom." Jamie Foxx: "Thank you so much.. Sharon Stone: "With honor for those in whose memory I visit." Madonna: "Thank you so much for your time and attention Lenny Kravitz: "Let love rule Chris Noth: "To Ann. Still after all this time - we hear your voice." Mary Steenbergen: “It is so wonderful to see the care that all of you take to honor Anne’s book the most eloquent anti-war book ever written.” Whoopi Goldberg: "So happy to return to the place of peace.” Kelly Osbourne: "Anne thank you for telling your story and showing the world what really happened Hillary Clinton: "Thanks for showing me through this 'House with a story' .. a story that needs to be told again and again in honor of Anne Frank and to remind all of us about the terrible cost of hatred among people." Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York While not wanting to shatter the “innocence” of youth I took my kids to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam where we confronted evil head-on The life of Anne Frank is not a pleasant topic for a six-year-old but these sorts of conversations and visits are critical in forming worldviews and helping children to be mindful of the world in which they live The picture above is from my first visit to Amsterdam in 2006 During that time my worldview and faith have continued to mature though I am not sure I approach the tragic case of the Frank family or the depravity of the human race displayed by Nazi Germany any differently now than then But this was a very different visit: I had my six-year-old and two-year-old along While two-year-old Claire Marie was too young to process anything I was curious to see how receptive six-year-old Augustine would be to talking about murder all encapsulated by a row house in Amsterdam The question of why does God allow evil seems appropriate here but I will not take on that weighty topic now because I did not take it on with Augustine I’m sure we will have that conversation one day As we went through each room and listened to the audio narration during the tour When we came to the original bookcase that concealed the entrance to the hiding place and he actually got to see how it pivoted shut to conceal their location “So they really had to hide upstairs and not make a sound?” It was that visual sight that crystallized what he had been told Walking through the secret annex and seeing where families actually lived in hiding simply because there were Jews…what a humbling moment And we explained to him, as we had when we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp and how we fall short of our call to love one another and treat other the way we wish to be treated I do not have any pictures from our visit: I felt it just wasn’t appropriate to be snapping pictures in such a place Photography is a critical part of my role as a blogger to tell a story Frank is venerated as an almost goddess-like figure at the museum particularly toward the end of the tour when her influence around the world is showcased but it understandable considering her prescient words that so nicely capture the hopes and dreams of the human race around the world I was most moved by the recorded words of her father (the only member of the family who survived) as well as the  love showed by Hannah Goslar in throwing food over the fence while both were interned in a concentration camp “It’s difficult in times like these: ideals It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals Yet I cling to them because I still believe that people are truly good at heart.” It’s beautiful sentiment…but I disagree People are truly bad at heart…which her untimely murder helps to expose And yet my point was not simply to talk to Augustine about how wicked humans are but to call him to action; the best way we can show love to others Fear drives government policies that target the most vulnerable We used this visit as an opportunity to remind Augustine to treat others with kindness and that every human life is precious We reminded him that we have a great responsibility to care for the vulnerable and push back against hatred even if we do not feel personally impacted Concentration camps and the Anne Frank House may not seem like great ways to spend a few hours with your young children but I believe such visits and such frank conversation is necessary and proper Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry and detailed reports of his worldwide travel Why don’t you just tell your kids that there is no god and humans are two steps away from being cruel monsters I would recommend “Ordinary Men” by Christopher R Browning for an exhaustive review of the subject You can also confront evil head-on this much closer to home Just look up “Indian boarding schools” in the US Or do certain ethnic cleansing efforts get more prominence than others and how do we continue or disrupt that legacy sometimes we don’t have to look far to find depravity Beni Menashe Jews and 500 million plus lower caste Hindus and tribes people I guess it is an easy target plus they’re not white To get a perspective on Indian treatment of Muslims you have to know the history of Islam In the region stretching from Morocco on the Atlantic to Pakistan the entire region has no tolerance for anything other than Islam and you complain only about India British stopped Islam from spreading further into current day India Because the response I commented on (like your own) came from an Indian IP address And while I don’t defend savagery of any kind I will note my (Indian) friend’s church in Goa was stormed by Hindu nationalists and he and his wife were forced to flee Did you always believe people are truly bad at heart or did that change as you matured and if so I have been to many places you have been and agree I felt taking pictures was inappropriate at the Anne Frank house Its has been some years since I visited and sometimes feel I should have taken a few pictures to remember I this its great you took them to this museum History isn’t something we should be afraid of find your belief that people are inherently bad at heart to be interesting Think of “bad” people: Hitler but many people died as a result of the decisions made by Bush and LBJ as well thought they were acting in the best actions of their country or their religion A lot of people who are supposed to be good have caused immense pain and suffering as well: Sherman burned down Atlanta and likely killed a lot of slaves he was theoretically supposed to be freeing A lot of innocent lives were lost in Nagasaki and Hiroshima Clinton had the power to mitigate the genocide of the Tutsi but he didn’t act because we was still embarrassed about Somalia My point is that good/evil is often subjective and it’s hard to prove either I personally have encountered more good people in my life than bad and so I will ignorantly continue to think that people are inherently good Take Augustine to the traveling Holocaust exhibit at the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley The boxcar car out front really is penetrating This boxcar grueling ride was the beginning of the end Interesting that you think people are intrinsically evil I disagree although I’m not up to making an argument that people are inherently good either I would think you would be educating your children much better if you raised them in Germany / Europe rather than if you raised them in the USA ….Although I was raised in Canada with European parents and look where I ended up living; in Northern California and went to a museum and explained about how Africans were brought to that region to work as slaves in the 1600s The Acadians (French descendants) were also persecuted and killed Humankind is with good and evil and will always be It sounds you agree with the Waldorf/Steiner education model of experiential learning The reason why things like the Anne Frank house are necessary is because 99% of Americans DO NOT know that Hitler was responsible for the murder of 6M Jews Diary of Ann Frank is banned in FL & TX because of MAGA The book at one point shows the protagonist walking in a park and later proposing to a friend that they show each other their breasts government placed nearly all Japanese people and some Germans in concentration camps during the war just like Germans placed nearly all communists in internment camps during the war was almost free of war at home and Germany’s supply lines were bombed by the U.S and Soviets to the point that even millions of Germans starved near the end of the war could place the Japanese under better conditions but not the Germans with the communist arrestees as Germany was bombed since August 1939 by the British This does not even talk about what the Soviets did with gulags to innocent anti communist civilians and christians or the systematic starvation of 15 million Ukrainians between 1932 and 1941 when Ukraine was liberated by the Germans Something we should note is that ball point pens didn’t exist when Anne Frank was a live She died of typhus in an internment camp; the same illness that killed 1 million Germans between 1944-1948 There are credible allegations that Anne Frank didn’t write most of the diary as her father had control over publishing it Hand writing analysis indicates the father was responsible for a significant portion of the published diary Millions of Germans and millions of people who endured Soviet enslavement don’t have the industrial complex pushing their stories so we don’t read the diaries about the brutality of communism that the Germans fought or the war crimes (fire bombings) of civilian cities with no military objective by the U.S I definitely did no go inside the house when I was in Amsterdam despite it being near my hotel but it looked like a comfortable home from the outside All I can say is you are clearly raising your children to be better people than many of those who choose to comment on your blog The ball point pen controversy has long been debunked The ballpoint was on 2 notes that police examiners had affixed to pages from Anne’s writings in the course of a legal matter to ascertain the legitimacy of her handwriting Anne wrote in different colored pencils and in a marker type pen She was editing her writings because a broadcast from the BBC which the family listened to on a hidden wireless radio had suggested that young people write down their experiences Some of Anne’s writings have been lost the existence of which is alluded to by Anne The release of more papers of Anne’s which had been entrusted to a family friend has further bolstered the authentication of Anne’s writing “looked like a comfortable home from the outside.” And I mean C-L-E-A-R-L-Y… And with your ignorant comment you did not have to even mention you avoided history I’m wondering if you were afraid of something or someone challenging your misguided beliefs Are you aware of how many people lived in the space Are you aware of how little of the building was her home You remind me of the kind of people who say things like “It looked like a comfortable home from the outside but what is the complaint here… After all Shame on you for your ignorance and lack of curiosity I applaud you taking your son to the museum and helping him to put things in his own context My first visit to the Anne Frank House was when I was in the 3rd grade I am thankful that my parents believed in exposing me to history It also helped me gain my own framework to learn about other atrocities and Most of us are malleable (for better and worse) I disapprove of the term “Nazi Germany” We don’t say “Imperial Japanese” or “Communist North Koreans” or “Socialist Russians” It was a system in which people knowingly turned an eye (not a blind eye Your children being exposed to history at such a young age is an AMAZING way to raise kids For your six-year old to be able to experience this opportunity is an amazing testament to your parenting There is nothing better than sunlight to expose the truth Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure Written By: KT Browne Netherlands A visit to Anne Frank House is usually at the top of people’s list when traveling to Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House Museum in central Amsterdam is a haunting yet beautiful house that is home to the diary that Anne wrote during her long days in hiding subdued experience that is historical and eye-opening this tribute to the family and people who hid from the Nazis during the Second World War is not to be missed The Anne Frank House has been attracting more than a million visitors each year While the Anne Frank House Museum is very busy the house is a moving space and one that is worth the visit We visited Anne Frank House on our first visit to Amsterdam years ago and it has always stayed with us we enlisted the help of KT Browne to update the details of how to enter and what to expect during your visit to the Anne Frank House Museum was hidden from view by nearby houses during the war The house itself was used by Otto Frank to run his workshop which he rented from the Pieron Family The ground and first floor were used for his business and the rest was used as offices space and storage the Frank family used the second and third floors to go into hiding Business continued as usual on the ground and first floors and the only access to their hiding place was through the bookcase made it so that nobody took notice of what went on behind the bookcase in the secret annex of Prinsengracht 263 Located right at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam on the Prinsengracht Canal the inhabited rooms of the Anne Frank House are only 500 square feet in total It consists of the main house and the hidden annex which is where Anne Frank went into hiding and wrote her famous There are numerous exhibition spaces throughout the museum that show various pages from her notebook Tickets to The Anne Frank House are only sold online and allocated for specific time slots—so be sure to show up on time! Because the house is so popular, crowds are common at the Anne Frank House Museum entrance, but they do seem to disappear once inside thanks to the time slots, along with a quiet and calm atmosphere. Purchase your tickets to Anne Frank House in advance here. If you cannot make your time and tickets are already booked so make sure you will be going on the day you plan for They used to allot 20% of tickets to be sold on the same day there are no guided tours offered at Anne Frank House Photography is not allowed inside the museum in order to preserve the quality of the artifacts the house isn’t recommended for people with mobility issues Before visiting Anne Frank House make sure to read the Diary of Anne Frank. It will give you a deeper understanding of the experience. You can purchase it here on Amazon for Kindle you can purchase a 30-minute introductory program that you can do before your visit You will learn of the history of Anne Frank and about the persecution of Jews during the Second World War It will give you a better understanding to help prepare you for your visit visit The Anne Frank House with an open heart and mind; it’s a little slice of a very important part of history that we all would benefit from knowing more about Visitors have the chance to wander through the museum’s many rooms and crannies to get a real sense of Anne Frank’s experience and a wide range of original items (including her beloved diary) Anne Frank is brought to life in an authentic yet respectful way It’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed The house’s steep stairwells and original artifacts are incredibly moving a walk through Anne Frank House pulls you back in time Visitors can wander freely throughout Anne Frank House don’t miss the hinged bookcase and the entrance to the secret annex behind it—it’s extraordinary rich tribute to the persecution and discrimination of Anne and thousands of Jews faced during the war Much of the Anne Frank House museum is perfectly preserved making the experience of visiting incredibly authentic who hid from the Nazis with her family and four other people in the “secret annex” of this 17th-century canal house during World War II Anne remained hidden in the annex for two years and one month until the Nazi authorities raided the space arrested her and others she was in hiding with They deported them to concentration camps which ultimately led to her death where she died of Typhus Fever at the age of 15 Only Anne’s father Otto survived the concentration camps. It was recently discovered that Arnold van den Bergh, a Jewish figure in Amsterdam betrayed Anne Frank’s family to save his own. After 70 years of speculation, a team of investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. You can read more details here. Anne posthumously became world-famous because of the diary she wrote while in hiding for two years Her diary along with hundreds of loose pages chronicled her life in poetic detail save these Anne Frank House tips to Pinterest for future travel planning When visiting Amsterdam be sure to put Anne Frank House Museum at the top of your list The pictures taped to the walls of Anne Frank’s bedroom and other exhibits offer a better understanding of an incredible person and the opportunity to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit at large You may be interested in this tour to accompany your visit to Anne Frank House Museum. Jewish Cultural Quarter Tour includes an entrance to the Jewish Cultural Quarter that you can visit before or after your tour and then you can join a 2-hour tour of this Anne Frank-themed walking tour If you want to enter Anne Frank House you will need to purchase that ticket online separately in advance Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly Book Your Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner. We have used them for years and have found that they have the best flight deals Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor. Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO Learn a Language: We recommend and love both Rosetta Stone and Babbel Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it Book Your Activities: Looking for walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more? Then we recommend Get Your Guide. Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling Where To Stay In Amsterdam In 2024: Our Favorite Places and Neighbourhoods 34 Best Things to Do in Amsterdam In 2024 The 21 Best Day Trips from Amsterdam Check out more of KT's Writing at KtBrown and more articles by KT on ThePlanetD at KT ThePlanetD Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "ace5f27e648c644c03773330c74bbfd3" );document.getElementById("bb6e812255").setAttribute( "id" Our gathering of three families booked the early on program for our visit and this was totally the best thing for us As a gathering visit we were blessed to receive a brilliant fascinating and enlightening 30 minutes of foundation data about the Frank family their bold partners and the stunning mystery concealing spot This haunting yet beautiful house is now home to the diary that Anne wrote during her long days in hiding along with hundreds of loose pages that chronicle her life in poetic detail not a great deal of spotlight on the web for explicit attractions in urban areas It’s frequently the win or bust 2,000k in addition to word articles I believe that we need shorter chomps that attention in on a particular fascination (dismal composition that so anyone can hear) or should we say verifiable site we read Anne’s journal as a standard piece of the educational modules Did you look in the most astounding upper room – the one with the stepping stool (If still in plain view) Anne Frank Museum give the glossing look even in the summers the picture quality force me to write comment. The thing I love about this travel blog is it really inspire the one to visit different places Really excited to visit the Anne Frank house museum We aim to introduce people to different experiences I’m glad you have this travel blog because you’re sharing things I never knew and beautiful photos also About Dave and Deb Contact Us Privacy Policy Work With Us Press and Media Best Travel Tips How to Save Money for Travel The Ultimate Travel Packing List Travel Safety Tips How to Travel on a Budget Not that the singer visited the museum; it's an educational and emotionally harrowing experience to visit Anne Frank's house What's weird is that she publicly documented her trip and it's unclear if she's saying I identify with you that's not something you put on the Internet for people to "like." That's an odd form of validation and an indication that she might be slightly ignorant of the gravity of Anne Frank's house My feelings toward Anne Frank may very well be linked to my last name (you can infer my cultural identity by looking at my last name it ends in "berg," although I coined myself a "bat quitzvah," as I dropped out of Hebrew school after that epic event) but what we're dealing with is territory that's far more solemn The Holocaust is not something to be taken lightly; when one visits the Holocaust museum #history #sad4jews." That's self-indulgent Visiting a museum or historical monument is not a moment of social or cultural charity on anybody's part and that's what it appears to be when a celebrity posts such an image make it seem as though Beyonce is trying to identify with Frank Maybe solely an image of the guest book or something without the artist herself would make it seem more.. but to pose with photos of a historical figure turns it into a Disney World moment Taking a picture of the objects in the house themselves might have looked more genuine There's no dismissing that Bey and Jay Z's interest in commemorating Frank is noteworthy and I must concede in that when a celebrity of note publicizes a trip to a place such as Anne Frank's house by — dare I say it — Disneyfying a historical landmark But what may be to blame is that our vocabulary of "how to save a memory" is diminishing and it comes with the muscle memory to put a filter on it and share it to Instagram What may have been a harmless attempt to show the world that she's attempting to understand parts of global history might have come off as ignorant — or as a badge of "look how good I am" — on a sheer account of our social media habits Between Justin Bieber's Anne Frank misstep and now this maybe celebrities would be better off leaving Anne alone Image: Beyonce/Instagram