Some Quick Facts about Anne Frank

Name: Anne Frank

Nationality: German

Best Known for: Writings the diary during World War II while hiding out from the Nazis

Date of Birth: 12th June, 1929

Date of Death: 1st March, 1945

Died At the Age of: 15

Sun Sign: Gemini

Place of birth: Frankfurt Am Main, Weimar Germany

Father's Name: Otto Frank

Mother's Name: Edith Frank

Siblings: Margot Frank

Religion she belonged to: Jewish

Place if Death: Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Lower Saxony, Nazi Germany

Some less known Facts about Anne Frank

• Anne and her sister used to call their father with the nickname 'Pim'.
• Anne's diary got published in 65 different languages.
• In Amsterdam, people can visit the secret hideout of Anne Frank.
• Anne loved collecting the postcards and photos of the cinema stars.

Introduction

Anne Frank was one among all those innocent children who were killed during the time of Holocaust. Her name came into limelight after a couple of years of her death, when her father published her diary as named by her as 'The diary of a young Girl'. Her diary became extensively famous within a very small span of time when it was published and today it is one of the most famous books among avid readers which has also been translated in various languages.

Also, many plays and movies have been made based on the story of 'the diary of a young girl', all around the world. She was born during quite a turbulent period in Germany Frankfurt and that she had to move with her family to Amsterdam during early 1930s when, in her homeland there was a rise of Nazis. When the World War II was on its height, the Germans had occupied Netherlands and that had made the Jews very unsafe and vulnerable and that Amsterdam was also not safe for Jewish people. With the passage of time the rise in the persecution of the Jewish people rose and the family of Anne Frank family had to keep living into the hiding. She always aspired to become a famous writer from that early age and probably that was the writer's instinct in her that made her to document the thrilling experience of the holocaust and the story of her hiding days during the time. She was hopeful that she will survive and tell the world her experience through her writings but, she along with her sister and mother were killed and only her father could survive the long fought battle, who later published her 'The diary of a young girl'.

Short about Anne Frank

Anne's father, Otto Frank was a businessman by profession and her mother took care of the family and children who include Anne and her sister Margot. Anne Frank had quite a spirited and outgoing personality from the very early age and that led her often into troubles unlike her sister who was more of a silent and serious kind of person. While Anne was more like her father, her sister was shy and an introvert type of person like her mother. Anne Frank dreamed of becoming a writer from the very early age.

Here's how her life took this big transformation

1. Anne Frank Family had to Leave Germany (Hitler came to power)

In the year 1933, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany and was elected as a leader of the Nazi political Party. He was not good to the Jewish and thought were the cause for most of the problems faced by Germany. And, that was the reason Jewish started fleeing from Germany. And, Anne's father Otto Frank was also among those people, who decided to leave the country.

2. Anne Frank's family moving to the Netherlands

Anne Frank's family moved to the Netherlands and started living in the city of Amsterdam in the year 1934. At that time she was only a four year little child but very soon she had made many new friends in the new country and started speaking Dutch. Gradually, the family started to feel safe once again.

3. Frank family started considering moving again (World War II began)

In the year 1939, World War II began, when Germany invaded Poland and till that time, Czechoslovakia and Austria, were already under the control of Germany. Once again there was this vulnerability for the Netherlands being invaded and the Frank family had to consider moving. But, at the end, Otto Frank decided staying back.

4. Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940 (Frank family could not get time to escape)

On 10th May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands and the Frank family could not get time to escape the war and all the Jews present there had to get them registered with the Germans. And, the Jews were denied from owing any business, doing any job, going to the movies or even sitting on the bench in the nearby park. Anne's father Otto Frank transferred his business to one of his non-Jewish friend.

Surprisingly, Anne Frank, even after the tumultuous situation, chose to act normal and she wrote her story in her red journal where she would wrote her experiences. And, we know her now because of this journal that she wrote during her hiding years.

5. Frank's Family going into hiding after German's invasion

With each passing day, thing stated getting worse and all the Jewish people were directed to put yellow stars on whatever they are wearing. The Germans rounded up some of them and took to the concentration camp and one bad day, there were orders to take Margot to the labor camp. But, how Otto could let that happen and so, he planned to hide the family to a place. The girls were asked to dress up in layers of dresses with all that they had because carrying a suitcase could have rose suspicion. And, that way, the family went to the hiding place.

6. How was the Secret hiding place of the Frank family?

Their father Otto Frank had made the secret hiding place just near to his office and the door for the same was such that it was hidden behind bookshelves. It was a small place, while the first floor had a small kitchen and bathroom; there were two rooms on the second floor, one for the sisters and other for Otto and his wife. Also, there was an attic, where the family would often hide foods and where sometimes Anne would sit alone in contemplation.

7. The writing Journal of Anne Frank

She had named the diary on the name of her friend as Kitty and whenever she wrote a new page, it would start with "dear Kitty". Anne took out her heart on that piece of paper and she would never think anyone could be reading it ever. She would write about people around her and everything else that she would feel writing about. Her writing revealed the fear of losing life every second while living in a hide out.

8. How was life on the hiding?

Every second they needed to be quite careful so that they did not get caught up by the Germans. All the doors and windows had to be kept closed and needed to be covered with thick curtains. They were not allowed to make noise and would usually keep quite during the day daytime. They would walk without slippers and whispered instead of talking so that their sound does not reach to the people working below their home. During the night time they could be a little relaxed but still they needed to be very careful. Very soon other Jewish family came to hide with them as they were looking out for a place to hide. The Van Pels family who moved just a week after Frank family moved in. This family had 15 years old son called Peter who moved with Anne and Margot shifted to their parent's room.

9. Anne Frank's family was captured by the Germans

The family was hiding from the German's from almost two years and they have this news that soon the war will get over with Germans getting defeated. They were happy that, soon they will be defeated but that does not actually happened. But, on 1944, 4th August, the tragedy happened and Frank's hideouts got invaded by the Germans and captivated everyone there and sent them all to the concentration camp. Men were separated from the women and the girls were sent to another camp. In March 1945, both Sisters Anne and Margot died fighting a disease called Typhus.

10. Anne's Diary and the Story after the war

After the war was over, it was only their father who survived, who on returning to Amsterdam; found the diary of her daughter Anne. He got it published in the year 1947 under the title, The Secret Annex which was later changed to Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. This book became a huge hit among the readers and now it is considered as one of the best books to read.