One of the most popular places to see when on a river cruise in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. It’s an incredibly poignant and thought-provoking building that serves as a stark reminder of the horrors of the Second World War and what people had to go through, and as such it is always one of the most visited places in Amsterdam. If you don’t know the history of Anne Frank then read on:

Anne was born in 1929 to liberal Jewish parents in Frankfurt, but when Hitler came to power and began anti-Semitic demonstrations in 1933 the family moved first to Aachen, and then in 1934 to Amsterdam where Anne’s father Otto was working.

Anne then led as normal a life as possible, until May 1940 when the German forces invaded the Netherlands, leading to the persecution of the Jews. Anne then had to move to a Jewish school and the family had to take measures to protect themselves, including Otto transferring his businesses to save them from being shut down, and now only working for a minimal wage.

On Anne’s thirteenth birthday she received an autograph book, which she decided to use as a diary. It is this diary that became world-famous when it was released by Otto following the war, giving a real insight into the life of Anne during these times.

One month after Anne’s birthday, the family moved into their secret hiding place after her older sister was called to the work camps. They lived behind a secret wall behind a bookcase in the offices of one of Otto’s companies. Only a handful of employees knew of the Franks’ hiding place, and kept them fed and safe.

Eventually in 1944, an unidentified informer tipped off the police and the Franks, along with others who had joined them in hiding, were arrested. The Franks were sent to Auschwitz where Otto was separated from his family. Following harrowing experiences and illness, Margot and Anne were sent to Bergen-Belsen while their mother was left behind to starve to death. Both sisters died in 1945. Anne was 15.

Otto was the only surviving member of the family, and it was he who strove to get Anne’s diary publicised to show the world what conditions really were like through the eyes of a young teenager. The Anne Frank House is now an incredibly popular museum where guests can see where the family hid. It’s a fascinating place to visit on a river cruise.

By Ian Lewis
Google