Iruni Kalupahana, JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment
Anne Frank’s Early Life and Family’s Move to Amsterdam
Anne Frank, born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1929, was part of a close knit Jewish family that included her father, Otto, her mother, Edith, and her older sister, Margot. As Adolf Hitler rose to power and the persecution of Jews intensified, Otto decided to move the family to the Netherlands in 1933, where he established a business in Amsterdam.
For several years, the Franks lived a relatively peaceful life, but when Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, anti Jewish measures were quickly imposed, restricting Jewish people’s freedom, including banning them from public places. By 1941, Anne and Margot were forced to attend an all Jewish school. The family lived in constant fear as Nazi persecution grew, and when Anne received a red and white plaid diary for her 13th birthday in 1942, it became her confidant and escape amid the increasingly dangerous circumstances.
Life in the Secret Annex
Facing arrest after Margot received an order to report to a labor camp, the Frank family went into hiding on July 6, 1942. They moved into a "secret annex" hidden behind a moveable bookcase in Otto Frank’s office building. The Franks shared the annex with four others, Hermann, Auguste, and Peter van Pels, and Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist. Living in confined spaces for two years created intense challenges, with the group relying on Otto’s trusted colleagues, especially Miep Gies, to bring them food and supplies.
Anne described in her diary the daily routines, quarrels, and moments of solidarity in the annex, revealing her unique perspective as a teenager facing unusual, isolating circumstances. Despite the constant fear of discovery, Anne’s lively personality shines through as she captures the ups and downs of life in hiding, from developing feelings for Peter van Pels to frustrations with her mother.
Anne’s Aspirations and Revisions for Publication
In March 1944, Anne heard on the radio that the Dutch government in exile wanted people to document their wartime experiences, inspiring her to rewrite her diary for publication. She gave the book a title, "Het Achterhuis" ("The Secret Annex"), and began editing her entries to create a cohesive story. She created pseudonyms for the annex’s inhabitants and expanded upon her experiences, providing more details about the psychological toll of hiding.
In addition to writing in her diary, Anne composed short stories and maintained a list of "beautiful sentences" from other books, showing her dedication to her craft. Despite the difficult conditions, Anne continued to dream of a future as a writer, hoping her words might one day reach people worldwide. She maintained her hope for freedom, even as the war and their isolation dragged on.
Discovery, Deportation, and Loss
On August 4, 1944, the Gestapo raided the secret annex after receiving a tip from Dutch informants. The Franks, van Pels family, and Fritz Pfeffer were arrested and sent to concentration camps. The arrest marked the beginning of a tragic period, as Anne and her family were transported first to the Westerbork transit camp and then to Auschwitz.
In October 1944, Anne and Margot were moved to Bergen Belsen, where they faced increasingly harsh conditions. Both sisters succumbed to illness and malnutrition in early 1945, just weeks before British forces liberated the camp. Otto Frank was the only survivor, enduring immense grief as he returned to Amsterdam. Miep Gies, who had saved Anne’s diary and other writings, gave them to Otto, leading to the eventual fulfillment of Anne’s wish for her diary to be shared with the world.
Publication, Legacy, and Global Impact
Determined to honor his daughter’s legacy, Otto Frank edited Anne’s writings, compiling her diary entries into what became the "C" version, which omitted about 30% of her original entries, particularly those dealing with her mother and her developing self awareness. Initially, Otto faced difficulties in finding a publisher, but historian Jan Romein’s article in "Het Parool" sparked interest, leading to the book’s publication in 1947 by Contact Publishers.
"Het Achterhuis" became an immediate bestseller in the Netherlands, and the 1952 American edition, "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl", gained worldwide acclaim. Translated into over 65 languages and adapted into plays, films, and educational materials, the diary remains a profound symbol of resilience. The diary has since been published in full and even became the basis for the Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam. In 2015, Otto was added as a coauthor to extend the diary’s copyright. Today, Anne’s words continue to resonate globally, reminding readers of the horrors of war and the enduring power of hope.
“I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart, ” Anne Frank
