Anne Frank House: A Symbol of Resilience and Remembrance

Iruni Kalupahana, JadeTimes Staff

I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Europe

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Image Source: Audley Travel

A Historic Refuge in Amsterdam

The Anne Frank House is both museum and memorial monument, located centrally in Amsterdam at 263 Prinsengracht. The canal house that was first built in 1635 acted as the concealed place of hide out for Anne Frank, her relatives, and four other Jews when World War II took place. In 1942, once the Nazi rule over the Netherlands intensified, the Frank family began living in their hideout in order to stay out of trouble. The family was joined by another Jewish family and two dentists, and they all remained in hiding together for more than two years. The Secret Annex, protected from view by the surrounding buildings, was a small but necessary refuge, where they were sustained by devoted employees, including Miep Gies and her husband Jan, who risked their lives to provide them with food, supplies, and news.

Otto Frank’s Efforts to Save His Family

Before the war, Otto Frank had been operating a business in Germany. Escaping the increasingly active persecution of Jews by the Nazis, Otto resettled his family in Amsterdam in 1934, perceiving it as being safer. In 1940, the food business firm of Otto moved to 263 Prinsengracht, a home with a secret rear house appropriate for hiding. Otto's planning and determination provided hope for his family and their friends, but they never had any idea from one day to the next when they would be found out. They were reliant upon a small number of faithful friends, including Miep Gies, who provided them with food, clothes, and information, and helped them to survive the difficult years. With such a hostile environment, Anne still continued writing in her diary, documenting her imagination, fears, and interpretations of the reality that surrounded her.

The Diary’s Legacy and the Museum’s Establishment

Anne Frank's diary, when published in 1947 as Het Achterhuis (The Secret Annex), was a worldwide bestseller and a mainstay of Holocaust literature. Otto Frank, the only member of the Frank family to survive the concentration camps, insisted that his daughter's words be heard. The Anne Frank Foundation was founded in 1957 for the purpose of preserving the house and its story. The Anne Frank House was opened as a museum in 1960, but demand proved too much. The numbers of visitors quickly surpassed expectations, and extensions and renovations were done. In 1999, the museum was significantly expanded to include new exhibitions, an extended visitor center, and a more modern interpretation of Anne's life and work. The museum now receives over one million visitors every year from around the globe.

Preserving History for Future Generations

The Anne Frank House is not just a memorial but also an educational and contemplative site. In the Secret Annex, visitors are able to view original papers, photographs, and belongings of the eight individuals who were in hiding there. Anne's own diary, which she had revised and rewritten, is displayed in the newly restored 265 Prinsengracht, which is next to the annex, where her handwritten pages are saved for future generations. The exhibits of the museum also include background history, illustrating the persecution of Jews during the Nazi era and the broader importance of Anne's story in resisting discrimination and intolerance. The Anne Frank House remains a lasting image of the resiliency of the human spirit, reminding human beings of the necessity to fight for human rights, dignity, and freedom.