Diary Of a Young Girl - Anne Frank

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Recently finished a Book " Diary Of a Young Girl by Anne Frank " so I thought to share what was in the Book and the life of Anne Frank.


Normally when I get a Book I try to finish it in a week but it took me about a month to finish this as I was reading it mostly in the #delhimetro while returning back to home after work.


Anne Frank was a Jewish Girl who was born in Germany in 1929 and  became a victim of Holocaust . Anne Frank family who were settled in Germany had to move to Amsterdam, Netherlands as Nazis got control over Germany who were Anti Jewish. Anne Family consisted of her Father Otto Frank, Mother Edith Frank and Elder Sister Margot Frank. Otto Frank started his own Company in Amsterdam and the family were living peacefully there, but as the Nazis gained control over Netherlands and were persecuting Jews Frank family had to eventually go into a hiding in 1942 which was the work place of Otto Frank. They were also joined by Van Daan Family who also were Jewish and fled Germany and Fritz Pfeffer who was a Jewish Dentist.


This is a story about how Anne jolted down day to day things in her Diary that happened with them when they were in hiding.


I had collected Pictures of all the members who were in hiding and are shown below.

Anne Frank

Anne's Father Otto Frank

Anne's Mother Edith Frank

Anne's Elder Sister Margot Frank

Hermann Van Daan

Auguste Van Daan

Peter Van Daan

Fritz Pfeffer the Dentist






As the hiding place was in Van Daan's work place, they separated the work place and hiding place as such nobody could have known that people are living here , in the morning some faithful staff of the Office used to work there and they would help all the people in hiding with everything they need. Before they went into hiding they collected lots of rations that could hold them for years.To know whats happening in the outside world they have to rely on their Radio sets.


On 13th Birthday of Anne she was gifted a Diary by her Father, this Diary became Anne's actual diary in which Anne jolted down her experience and her life in hiding. She would write how they could not utter a single word when some stranger used to come in the Office and have stated how many times some Burglar would break into the house and everybody would become tense if the Burglar could enter their hiding and they would be caught.


By her Diary one could get that they used to pass their time by reading Books and by discussing about what they would do when they will be freed by Anti Nazi forces. Despite being a kid in her lower teens Anne had every knowledge about most of the countries in the world. She was working on her French and English and would take help of her hiding members and Books for it.


Once in her Diary she has talked about India dated 27 February,1943 which I am quoting below

"The Freedom-loving Gandhi of India is holding his umpteenth Fast"

The saddest part for me while reading this Book was that I knew Anne will not make it at last and will eventually die despite her wish that she wants to be a Journalist a true Journalist and lots of other things that she had planned in her small age for her future.


One thing I had forgotten to mention before is that she used to call her Diary by the name of Kitty and she always would start new page in her Diary with Dear Kitty and end it with Yours Anne. She called the hiding Place Secret Annex in her Diary.

Hiding Place

Despite being the smallest member in the Secret Annex she looked the most matured one. She would write how Mrs. Van Daan was silly and there would be quarrels in Van Daan family over petty things, how she thought no body in her family understands her and how her mother has evaded her from Motherhood. She thought her Father was her Best Friend. She would write about her Friends and how she miss them now.


Many of times when Secret Annex members came to know that some of their known ones have been caught by Gestapo she would write in her Diary that no matter what happens she would remain strong and not give up. She would write about what they eat,how they celebrated some festival in their Secret Annex. She made her Diary her Friend with whom she would share all the good and the bad things.


As Anne grew up in Secret Annex and gained adolescence she needed a Male partner and that she found in Peter Van Daan. She would go in Peter's room and would chat with him, She started liking 
Peter and in her Diary would consume pages and pages about Peter and how much she loved him. She would worry whether Peter also have same feelings towards her and then one fine day they had their First Kiss about which she had written thoroughly. She wrote she is not sure if She'll marry Peter when they willl come out of Secret Annex as Peter despite older than her is not matured enough.


As the Anti Nazi forces were capturing Nazi areas and freeing hostages the atmosphere in the secret Annex would become positive that they also have chance to get freed and have their Freedom back.Anne spent about 2 years in that Secret Annex and wrote regularly about her time there.


The last post in her Diary is dated 1 August,1944 three days later a local Informer led Gestapo to their Hide out and all Eight members were caught. All of them were transported to Auschwitz Camp. Then male and Females were Separted. Hermann Van Daan could not do hard labour in Auschwitz and was gassed in September 1944 and died. Fritz Pfeffer died on 20th December in Neuengemme Concentration camp.As the Frank Sister were transported from Auschwitz camp their ill moter Judith Frank died of Exhaustion in January 1945. 

Anne and her Sister were transferred to Bergen Belsen camp there they got infected with typhus Margot Frank died of it in March 1945 and then soon Anne also in March 1945.Shorty after their death British Army freed all the prisoners in the camp in April 1945 saddest part was Anne died just a month before it.


Peter Van Daan also died on May 5th 1945 at a camp in Austria of Exhaustion and soon her mother Auguste Van Daan also died in Germany or Czechoslovakia and was the last one to die of the Eight people present in that Secret Annex.


The lone survivor was Anne's Father Otto Frank as when he was at Auschwitz the Russian forces forced the Germans to abandon the camp.He came back to Amsterdam and searched for his Children but got the news no body could make it. Miep Gies who helped them while they were in hiding gave Anne's Diary to Otto Frank.
Which eventually got published.


I have read a lot about German cruelty towards Jews particularly Hitlers outrage against them. Millions of innocent Jewish people died in World War II because of this. I fail to understand how cruel and insensitive a person could be. 


In the end I would leave you with a Photograph of Frank Family when they were in their Freedom.

Also here is one Interview that Otto Frank gave where he talks about Anne's Diary

I would advice you to go through this Book if you like my post. Or if you want to know more about Anne and the German Invasion go through these links below.


Anne Frank
Holocaust
Anne Frank Organization

   

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