Anne Frank’s Life: Hiding from Nazi Persecution
Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding
Anne Frank was born in 1929 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 1933, the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, rose to power. The Nazis unjustly blamed Jews for all of Germany’s problems. To escape the Nazis, Otto and Edith Frank moved with their daughters, Margot and Anne, to the Netherlands. They remained safe until 1940, when Germany occupied the country.
Gradually, the Germans began harassing Jews, leading the Frank family to go into hiding. In 1942, preparations began to convert the back offices of Otto Frank’s business into a hiding place. The space was filled with furniture, food, and clothing. On July 6, 1942, a day after Margot Frank received a summons for work (as did thousands of other Jews), the Frank family moved into their hiding place. A week later, they were joined by Hermann, Auguste, and Peter van Pels. In November, the dentist Fritz Pfeffer arrived. The office employees helped and protected those in hiding, while the young men in the store remained unaware of the situation. Visitors from outside rarely crossed the threshold of the door marked “Kantoor” (office) on the first floor.
The Helpers
The family’s protectors were Johannes Kleiman, Victor Kugler, Miep Gies, and Bep Voskuijl, who were responsible for bringing food, books, and newspapers. Anne received a diary from her parents for her birthday on June 14, 1942. A month later, on July 14, Anne was forced into hiding. During the first months, Anne seemed relatively happy, but as time passed, friction and clashes between the two families increased. Initially, Anne felt undervalued because she was seen as a little girl. She disliked this, to the point of hating her mother and sister, believing that her father was the only one who understood her. At first, Anne was enthusiastic about Pfeffer’s arrival, but they eventually had disputes over sharing the room.
Life in Seclusion
Although locked away, Anne never lost hope of returning to school and continued studying at home, as it was one of the few things she could do. She even wrote several books in the house. Security in the home was enhanced after several thieves tried to break in, and the Gestapo had to investigate. On August 4, 1944, while Otto Frank was giving English lessons to Peter, the hidden residents were forcibly removed from the house; someone had betrayed them. Otto Frank was the only one to survive the concentration camps. Victor Kugler and Jo Kleiman were arrested and taken to a detention camp in the Netherlands, but both returned safely. Edith Frank died on January 6, 1945, in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Fritz Pfeffer died on December 20, 1944, in Neuengamme. Hermann van Pels was murdered in the Auschwitz gas chambers. Auguste van Pels died around March 1945. Peter died on May 5, 1945, in Mauthausen. Margot and Anne Frank died of starvation in March 1945 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
The Diary’s Impact
The Diary of Anne Frank resonated with me because it reflects the Nazi barbarism seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl forced into hiding to avoid being sent to a concentration camp. The book portrays the everyday life of eight people forced to hide simply for being Jewish. I believe The Diary of Anne Frank is a unique testament to Nazi barbarism, capturing the feelings and emotions of Anne and her companions, and providing insight into their lives and dignity. Anne vividly portrays the behavior of eight people confined for two years, showing how people behave in extreme situations such as food scarcity or the fear of being discovered. She effectively conveys the anguish, pain, and occasional joy. Furthermore, the selfless help provided by the protectors, who risked their own lives to hide the two families, providing food and support during the difficult moments of their confinement, is also remarkable.