Anne Frank (1929-1945) was a young Dutch-Jewish girl whose diary, written in hiding during the Nazi occupation, became a poignant testimony of the Holocaust. She died in deportation at Bergen-Belsen, and her work remains a major source for understanding persecution and humanity in the face of horror.
Anne Frank(1929 — 1945)
Anne Frank
Troisième Reich, république de Weimar, apatride
7 min read
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.»
« I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people around me.»
« I want to go on living even after my death!»
Key Facts
- June 12, 1929: Born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- July 1942: Goes into hiding with her family in an Amsterdam building (the Secret Annex)
- August 1944: The Frank family is betrayed and arrested, then deported to Auschwitz
- February 1945: Dies of typhus at Bergen-Belsen, shortly before liberation
- 1947: Publication of The Diary of a Young Girl by her father Otto, which became a universal symbol of the Holocaust
Works & Achievements
Personal diary written between 1942 and 1944, published by Otto Frank. Translated into more than 70 languages, it is one of the most widely read testimonies about the Holocaust and is featured in school curricula around the world.
Alongside her diary, Anne wrote short stories, fables, and essays in the Annex, reflecting her literary ambition and early maturity.
A collection published after Otto Frank's death, bringing together the short stories, fables, and childhood memories written by Anne during her time in hiding.
Scholarly edition published by the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation, comparing the different versions of the diary and definitively authenticating the manuscript.
Anecdotes
Anne Frank received her diary on June 12, 1942, her thirteenth birthday. She immediately named it 'Kitty' and began writing to it as she would to a close friend, which gives the text its uniquely personal and endearing tone.
In the Annex, the eight people in hiding had to maintain absolute silence between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., when the warehouse employees were working below. The slightest sound — a cough, a sneeze, a flushing toilet — could betray them.
Anne dreamed of becoming a journalist and writer. In March 1944, after hearing a radio broadcast in which the Dutch minister in exile called on people to preserve their wartime diaries, she began rewriting and revising her journal with a future publication in mind.
Miep Gies, one of the helpers who protected the Frank family, retrieved Anne's diary from the floor of the Annex after the arrest. She kept it in a desk drawer without reading it, hoping to return it to Anne after the war.
Otto Frank, Anne's father and the sole survivor among the eight people in hiding, hesitated for a long time before publishing the diary. He finally agreed in 1947, thereby fulfilling his daughter's dearest wish.
Primary Sources
I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions of people and yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better.
We walked in the pouring rain, Father, Mother and I, each carrying a school bag and shopping bag filled to the brim with the most varied assortment of items. The people on their way to work so early in the morning looked at us with compassion.
When I write, I shake off all my cares, my sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived. But then comes the big question: will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?
History cannot be written solely from official documents and decisions. If our descendants are to fully understand what we have endured, we must collect the most ordinary records: diaries, letters, sermons.
Key Places
L'arrière-maison où Anne Frank et sept autres personnes ont vécu cachées pendant plus de deux ans, de juillet 1942 à août 1944. Aujourd'hui le musée Anne Frank.
Le quartier du Rivierenbuurt où la famille Frank a vécu avant d'entrer en clandestinité. Anne y a passé son enfance néerlandaise et a fréquenté l'école Montessori voisine.
Camp où Anne et sa sœur Margot ont été transférées depuis Auschwitz à l'automne 1944. Elles y sont mortes du typhus début 1945.
Camp d'extermination où les huit clandestins de l'Annexe ont été déportés en septembre 1944 après leur arrestation.
Camp de transit aux Pays-Bas par lequel sont passés les occupants de l'Annexe avant leur déportation vers Auschwitz. Plus de 100 000 Juifs néerlandais y ont transité.
Ville natale d'Anne Frank, où elle est née le 12 juin 1929. La famille a quitté l'Allemagne en 1933 pour fuir le régime nazi.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Het Achterhuis (Le Journal d'Anne Frank)
1947
Contes et essais d'Anne Frank
1942-1944
Les Contes de l'Annexe (Tales from the Secret Annex)
1960
Version définitive du journal (édition critique)
1986
