Anne Frank House

Anne Frank House

Introduction   This is a famous museum in Amsterdam, originally a hiding place built in July 1942 by two Jewish families—the Franks and the van Pels (referred to as the Van Daans in Anne’s diary), along with dentist Fritz Pfeffer. On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed by collaborators of the German occupying forces, and everyone in hiding was arrested. Only Otto Frank survived the “Final Solution.” The diary of his youngest daughter, Annelies Marie Frank (Anne), was first mentioned in a newspaper in 1946. It later became the renowned The Diary of a Young Girl, published in Amsterdam.

The building mainly consists of a front section and a rear section. The front, facing the canal, was built in 1739, while the back section, used as the hiding place, was constructed after some old buildings were demolished. In 1960, the house was turned into a museum, which now welcomes nearly 700,000 visitors each year who come to see the world Anne described in her diary. In 1998, five previously undisclosed pages from Anne’s diary, which had been kept secret by her father, were finally published.

The museum also features exhibits on fascism, racism, and discrimination, serving as a constant reminder to future generations. Admission / Opening Hours   Opening hours: Monday–Saturday, 09:00–17:00 (extended to 19:00 in summer); Sunday, 10:00–17:00.

Amsterdam, Netherlands