Anne Frank

 When Anne was young their family fled from Germany to escape the anti semitism that was growing as the Nazi party gained political power. Sadly a few years later, this intolerance followed behind them. In Amsterdam, where their family had fled to, the Nazi’s took over and started enforcing restrictive laws and  carting people off to concentration camps. The Franks tried to leave but were denied. What they did was they decided to go into hiding in the annex of their company along with another jewish family and man. For two years they lived up there where Anne recorded all her experiences in her diary. Tragically they were eventually arrested and sent to concentration camps. All of them died except for Anne's father Otto. Going to this museum was both tragic, and sad, but also it made me think more deeply about religious intolerance and I am so grateful we went. 

When we asked about Anne's contribution, our guide said that by publishing her diary, he hoped to educate the world, especially the young people. Her contribution was important because she showed us who she was, she gave us a name and a face that was iconic, and yet we see the horrors that happened to her and it helps it to feel more real. It helps us to know how horrible it all was! It helps people to want to do something and be the change. I remember learning about her in school and it was one of the very few things that I remember from history from the fourth grade. She has made a huge impact. 

I feel that she has been commemorated well because she expressed that her greatest wish was to become a famous author. Even though she never got to see her diary published, she has become one of the most well known writers in all of modern history. I can’t think of a better way to commemorate her than by making her biggest wish come true. People also built a museum of the annex, and she has a whole foundation named for her. I think the biggest commemoration is the impact that she has has on people who learn about her story and read her diary, because people then realized how her story is only one of millions. 




Comments

  1. Caroline CaineMay 12, 2024 at 9:50 PM

    I loved reading your blog post Anna! It was so moving to hear about all of the hardships that Anne Frank went through during the years of hiding, but also in the concentration camps she was sent to. All of these things that happened to Jews during the Holocaust came from the horrible reign of the Nazi's. Obviously that level of discrimination is not prevalent today, but the world is not perfect. I think she showed so much depth to the trauma of the Holocaust, and hopefully the world can use her story to prevent anything else from happening.

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  2. Kaia HathawayMay 12, 2024 at 11:34 PM


    Really nice post, Anna! We see with Anne's diary how she and the others in hiding really struggled during the war. And because of that, we get insight into how her diary and the foundation named after her have contributed to this discussion of anti-semitism. But these issues still exist today. And by understanding Anne's hardships, we get more insight into how Amsterdam stands as a cultural capital and its historical background. If we don't acknowledge Amsterdam's background, we miss out on its importance and so much of the city's history.

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  3. Sam RichardsonMay 14, 2024 at 10:27 AM

    I really enjoyed reading your post, Anna!! I think Anne Frank's story is an amazing and inspiring one that needs to be studied by all. I also think that by learning more about the her and the situation she grew up in, we can start to understand more about how Amsterdam is a cultural capital. The sheer amount of history that is now centered in Amsterdam fully contributes to the city's status as a cultural capital forever.

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  4. Audrey FergusonJune 8, 2024 at 7:39 AM

    I loved reading your blog Anna. I think Anne Frank was an interesting person and could have accomplished so many things if she had the time. The holocaust and going into hiding stood in her way. I loved how she alway saw the positive to thing even when the world was going against her.

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  5. SatchelJune 21, 2024 at 10:18 AM

    Really great post Anna! Anne Frank had so many things going against her in her life. She was Jewish and had to leave Germany at a young age. She wanted to be a journalist and writer and would have been, but was murdered by the nazi's after she had to go into hiding. Ethnic cleansings still happen today like the Rohingya muslims and what Israel is doing to Gaza.

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