Understanding World War 2 Through the Lens of Anne Frank
How much do you know about Anne Frank? World War 2 education is not complete without some understanding of Anne Frank’s experience, and that of her family. Knowing certain Anne Frank facts provokes serious thought about how something like the Holocaust could happen, because studying Anne Frank and facts about her life offers a window into the disrupted life of a normal family, in a modern city, in a time more recent than it may seem.
Early Life and Family Background
Annelies Marie Frank was born in Frankfurt am Main, in Germany, in 1929, to Otto and Edith Frank. She had a sister named Margot who was three years older, and in 1934, their parents decided to move to Amsterdam, in search of a better life for their girls. Germany had become a difficult place to live, as Adolf Hitler was gaining more supporters and encouraging antisemitic sentiment, blaming the Jews for high unemployment and severe poverty in the nation. The Franks made the move to the Netherlands, where Otto founded a company that sold pectin, a gelling agent used in jam. Getting his new business off the ground was not easy, but the family settled into life in Amsterdam nicely. Anne went to a Dutch school, had plenty of friends, and spent her free time playing table tennis and reading.
Life in Hiding
When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, however, life got harder for the Frank family. Strict laws were imposed on Jews, limiting where they could go, shop, and even attend school. Jewish people were no longer allowed to run their own businesses, so Otto Frank lost his company, though he transferred control to his employees so that it would not shut down completely. Mr. Frank understood the writing on the wall, and began attempting to flee Amsterdam, first by trying to establish a branch of the business in England, then by trying to emigrate, first to the United States, then to Cuba. This was made impossible, however, by ever-tightening restrictions from the Nazis and new immigration regulations in the United States. He devised a new plan, creating a hiding place in the annex to his business premises, with the help of former colleagues. In July of 1942, Margot received a call to report to a ‘labour camp’ in Germany, and the family moved into what Anne would later dub the ‘Secret Annex’. Soon, they were joined by four more people, Hermann and Auguste van Pels and their son Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer.
The Secret Annex was cramped, and life there was challenging. There was constant fear of being discovered, and, of course, the inhabitants of this hiding place could not go outside or interact with anyone outside of their small circle. Of necessity, a few people in the outside world knew about this space, because those few people, friends and colleagues of Otto Frank, brought food, clothing, and other necessary supplies.
Anne Frank: Facts About her Diary
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank
When you read the diary written by Anne Frank, World War 2 facts are only part of what you discover. Anne was given her diary for her 13th birthday, just before they went into hiding. In it, she documented life in the Secret Annex, and she wrote down her thoughts and feelings. She was a gifted writer, with ambitions of becoming a journalist, and while she was in hiding, she also wrote short stories, began a novel, and copied passages from books she was reading. She wrote about the people in the Annex, reflected on adolescence and her identity, but also wrote about the experiences that led to her family going into hiding. This documentation of the systematic attacks on Jewish people and anti-Semitic laws of the Nazi regime has been an important source of information about World War 2, both for historians and the general public. When she heard the Minister of Education of the Dutch government in England on the radio, asking people to hold onto war diaries and documents, Anne decided to rewrite her diary, combining individual diaries into one story, called The Secret Annex (Het Achterhuis). Unfortunately, the occupants of the annex were arrested before she could finish.
Arrest and Legacy
To this day, it is unknown how the location of the Secret Annex was revealed to the Gestapo. Unfortunately, the families were discovered and arrested in August of 1944. Two of their helpers were also arrested and sent to labour camps. The residents of the Secret Annex made a three day journey, via cattle wagons, to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, where they were checked to see who could perform heavy forced labour. Anne, Margot, and their mother went to a labour camp for women, Otto went to a camp for men, Hermann van Pels died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, and his wife and son died in concentration camps in 1945. Fritz Pfeffer died from illness in December 1944, at a concentration camp in Germany. Anne and Margot were eventually separated from their mother and sent to Bergen-Belsen, where they both contracted typhus and died in February of 1945. Bergen Belsen was liberated in April of that same year.
Otto Frank was the only one of the residents of the Secret Annex to survive the war. Liberated from Auschwitz by the Russians, he returned to Amsterdam, only to learn of the deaths of his wife and children. He also learned, however, that one of their helpers, Miep Gies, had found and hidden Anne’s diary. Knowing that Anne wished to have it published, Otto followed through, and the first edition was published in the Netherlands in 1947. Today, it has been translated into 70 languages and more than 30 million copies have been published. It has also been adapted for stage and screen, creating a legacy meant to help people understand the stark realities of World War II.
Anne Frank House
In 1960, the annex that hid the Frank family became the Anne Frank House, a museum. Otto Frank was closely involved with the Anne Frank House, and continued to be until he died in 1980. He wanted people to read the diary, visit the museum, and understand the dangers of racism, discrimination, and anti-Semitism. Today, around 1.2 million people visit the museum each year.
The Importance of Remembering
“What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again.” – Anne Frank
The work done by facilities like the Anne Frank House Museum, with all of its initiatives for promoting awareness, providing education, encouraging tolerance and diversity, and protecting human rights, is vital in creating a better world. Providing an understanding of World War 2, especially to younger generations is particularly important as we move further away from that point in history. That is why for over 30 years, Eden Camp Modern History Museum has worked to bring history out of dull exhibits in stuffy museums and into real life. At Eden Camp, our realistic tableaux, with moving figures and sounds and smells that are authentically historical, will transport you back in time, where you can experience life in Britain from 1939-1945. Once a prisoner of war camp, Eden Camp has been re-equipped to tell the story of the “People’s War”, with each hut covering a different aspect of the war. Our collection is ever growing, and our Heritage Exhibition Hall can be used for special events, occasions, and exhibitions. With immersive displays, we cover both social and military history, and our archive has become a resource of national historical importance. Come visit, on your own, with your family, or with a group- there is something here for everyone. Car and coach parking is free on site, our exhibits are wheelchair accessible, we have picnic areas and play areas, and we’re even dog friendly! For visitor enquiries, group bookings, and school visits, telephone (01653) 915214, or purchase tickets online.
