When Anne was born in 1929 to Otto and Edith Frank little did they know of the difficulties that would lie ahead of them and how well known their infant daughter would become world wide.

Faced with the increasing dangers for all Jews the Franks fled Germany for the Netherlands when Anne is only four. Until Anne is eleven years old life was ordinary. She enjoyed her home, friends, holidays at the shore. Anne was a good student and liked school, even though she sometimes got into trouble for talking in class. Some of her favorite things to do were playing with her friends, going to parties and especially trips to the “Oasis” ice cream parlor, and riding her bike.

On Annes thirteenth birthday life for all Jews was getting increasingly more difficult. Her most special gift was a red plaid diary. She immediately started writing her private thoughts. By 1940 all Jews were made to register with Germany authorities and wear yellow “Star of David’. No longer could Jewish children even attend school. They and their parents could only shop at certain stores from 3:00-5:00.

During the many challenging months in Amsterdam, Otto and Edith Frank discussed the possibility of going into hiding upstairs from Otto Frank’s business the Annex. With the help of friends and co-workers. Getting ready to move into the Annex Anne and her family had to wear layers of clothes, since Jews certainly couldn’t be seen carrying suitcase down a street. Some of the items Anne packed were; special diary, called “Kitty” curlers, hankies schoolbooks and letters from friends and family members.  The only clothes Anne was allowed to take with were: 2 vests, 3 pair pants, two pair of stockings, dress skirt, jacket, shorts, lace up shoes, wool cap, and scarf. The Franks unfortunately could take only the necessary items, so not to look suspicious. Therefore, the left behind most of their personal belongings. Anne even had to leave her cat “Moortje”.

Eventually four other people joined the Franks in hiding at the Annex. Besides Otto and Edith Frank, Margot and Anne, others were living in the Annex. Were: the VanPels and their son Peter, and dentist Fritz Pfeffer.

Diary life in the Annex was tense and always fearful that the Germans would find them. However, after a period of time they all settled into a routine. Their days started at 6:45 am knowing they workers downstairs in the warehouse. They were free to move around while everyone was out for lunch. During the after noons they spent most of their time reading and resting.

All o them depended on their friends Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleimann, Bep Voskuijl, Miep Geis for food supplies, news from the outside world. They were all former employees of Ms Frank’s. Together the eight of them shared their good days and bad ones, holidays and birthdays.  The constant closeness and never being able to open a shade and never walk outside. So they started to visits by Miep and the others were really something to look forward to.

Of course Annes dad still believed it was important for Margot, Anne and Peter to do school work. He helped them with language, algebra, geometry, geography and history. Anne very much disliked algebra and geometry. Anne spent much of her time writing her thoughts and feelings of their daily lives in her diary. Her hope was to someday be o journalist. Some of things Anne missed mist during this time were the simple things like riding her bike, hearing the birds sing, getting a fresh breath of air, and laughing out loud with her friends. As time passed and she filled the birthday diary and another one, when that was filled she wrote in her dads blank accountant books and on loose-leaf paper.

. By the time Anne turned 15 they had been in the Annex for almost two years. Freedom for the Jews seemed forever out of reach Anne’s last entry in her diary was on August 4, 1944. A typical morning was interrupted when Peter VanPels heard shouting from the offices downstairs. German police stormed into the Annex. Their life in hiding had tragically come to an end. They never knew who had betrayed them.

After the Nazis raided the Annex dumping the briefcase with Anne’s writings. Thankfully, Miep Geis was able to save these and her diaries. He locked them in the desk drawer-knowing how important Anne’s writing had been to her.

Anne, Margot and her mother were first sent to Auschwitz. On arrival their heads were shaved and numbers tattooed on their arms, Otto Frank was sent to Auschwitz.  By October Anne and Margot were moved to Bergen along with Mrs. VanPels.

One day Mrs. VanPels realized Hannah a childhood friend of Anne’s was across the straw covered fence in camps and took Anne to the fence to speak with her friend, Hannah heard a sad broken girl not the way she remembered her friend, Anne cried and said “I don’t have any parents anymore. I have nobody anymore.” Anne had given up convinced both parents were gone and Margot, dying, from typhus as Anne herself was. She died March 1945.

Barely alive Otto Frank is released from Auschwitz is told his wife Edith is dead. He heads home to Amsterdam to find his two daughters. Only to be told they also are gone. Otto Frank is the only person from the Annex to survive the camps.

Otto Franks friend Miep gives him Anne’s diaries to read. Amazed at what length and detail she had written about their time in the Annex. Anne’s father is later encouraged to have her diaries published, which he did. The first edition of 1,500 copies was published in 1957. Which Mr. Frank felt fulfilled Anne’s dreams of being a writer.

Otto Frank would spend the rest of his life spreading Anne thoughts and ideals. With all she had been through as a child she never once spoke of hate in her writings only the goodness of people.

Her quote on July 15, 1944 “It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideas, they seem so absurd and important.  Yet, I still believe, in spite of everything that people are truly good.”

Amanda Wright

7^th Social Studies

Rossville Jr. High

Holocaust Project

Spring 2003

Bibliography