# data[].attributes.headline
What specific awards/honors/accomplishments does this person have?

# data[].attributes.subject
What specific awards/honors/accomplishments does this person have?

# data[].attributes.body
Though Anne Frank herself did not win any awards as she was not publicly known until after she died, her diary was published and became world famous. The diary was eventually adapted into a play, appropriately titled, "The Diary of Anne Frank" which won a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award, and The New York Drama Critics' Award for Best Play.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Publication of the diary in Germany and France (1950)

After the success of the Dutch edition, Otto Frank found publishers in West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) and in France willing to publish Het Achterhuis. Both translations were published in 1950. A first edition of 4,600 copies was printed in Germany, but the book was not a bestseller. However, when Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank was published as a cheap pocket in 1955, it became a hit. And when the play (see below) was also a success in the Federal Republic of Germany, a total of 700,000 copies were printed. The success of the play led to the publication of an edition in the GDR (East Germany) in 1957.

The French edition was published in 1950, like the German one, and the reviews were positive. The French edition was picked up by American author Meyer Levin. He was to play an important role in the success of the book in the United States.

'I once asked my publisher why he thought the diary was read by so many people. He felt that the diary covered so many areas of life that every reader found something in it that affected him personally.'

Success in the US after review in The New York Times (1952)

In 1950, after reading the French edition, Meyer Levin first wrote about Het Achterhuis in an article on 'the attitude of American publishers towards books of Jewish content' for Congress Weekly magazine. He called Anne Frank a 'highly gifted writer' and her diary 'a work about the unfolding of the nature of a young girl absolutely pure in candor and at the same time in delicacy.'

Otto had a hard time finding a publisher in the United States. After the manuscript had been turned down by 10 publishers, Doubleday publishers decided to acquire the rights. The publication of Anne's diary in America in 1952 had a cautious start. Five years after the book was first published in the Netherlands, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was launched in a modest edition of 5,000 copies.

Doubleday did not hold high expectations and hardly spent any money on additional advertising. Sales did not go well. But after an enthusiastic review by Meyer Levin in The New York Times Book Review (15 June 1952), sales began to pick up. A second print run of 15,000 copies was issued, followed within days by a third of 45,000 copies. Before long, print run after print run sold out in rapid succession and millions of Americans read the book.

The Diary of Anne Frank, the play (1955)

Meyer Levin turned into a fervent advocate of the book and insisted on the production of a play and a film based on the diary. He even wrote a script, but that was rejected by Otto Frank. This caused a lot of bitterness between them and they eventually ended up in court. Much has been written about this case and the role that Meyer Levin played in the American publication, not only by Meyer Levin himself, in The Obsession, (1973) but also by later researchers.

Otto Frank finally decided to work with playwrights Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. They wrote the script in little under two years. The Diary of Anne Frank opened at the Cort Theatre in New York on 5 October 1955. Before the opening performance, Otto Frank wished the cast every success; he himself could not and did not want to see the play. The idea of seeing his family on stage was too much for him.

The final Broadway performance took place on 22 June 1957. After 717 performances, the play started on a tour of other US cities. The Diary of Anne Frank won important prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize for theatre, a Tony Award, and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play.

Performances all over the world

The play was staged in many other countries as well, including the Netherlands. Its opening night on 27 November 1956 was attended by Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. In Germany, the play made a deep impression, and more than 2 million people came to see it. Afterwards, there was often a minutes-long silence. In Germany - and in many other countries - the diary became better known because of the play.

The Diary of Anne Frank, the film (1959)

Using the play as a starting point, Goodrich and Hackett wrote the screenplay for the film The Diary of Anne Frank. George Stevens directed the film. It premiered in New York on 18 March 1959.

According to the available data, the film was not a blockbuster: the budget is estimated at 3 million dollars, the gross yield at 5 million dollars. However, the film won several prizes and 3 Oscars for:

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Shelley Winters)

Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)

Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Black-and-White).

Just like the play, the film - despite its somewhat disappointing performance at the box office - definitely contributed to the reputation of Het Achterhuis.

Literature

More about Meyer Levin:

Graver, Lawrence, An Obsession with Anne Frank: Meyer Levin and The Diary (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1995).

Levin, Meyer, The Obsession (New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1973)

Melnick, Ralph, The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank: Meyer Levin, Lillian Hellman, and the Staging of the Diary. (New Haven, CT & London: Yale University Press, 1997).

IMDB-page about 'The Diary of Anne Frank' [12 October 2018]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Publication of the diary in Germany and France (1950) After the success of the Dutch edition, Otto Frank found publishers in West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) and in France willing to publish Het Achterhuis. Both translations were published in 1950.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why did you select them? What was unique about this person that made them stand out to you?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why did you select them? What was unique about this person that made them stand out to you?

# data[].attributes.body
I find Anne Frank interesting because she was just an average girl who was put into a difficult situation and simply decided to write about it and make the best of things. She did not try to change to world or become famous, but the way she chose to do something as simple as document her life made a big difference as many still read her story and are inspired by her diligence through her difficult life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anne Frank (1929-1945), a young Jewish girl, her sister, and her parents moved to the Netherlands from Germany after Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came to power

# data[].attributes.headline
What are the specifics of what this person did to make a difference? What is the story? What are they known for?

# data[].attributes.subject
What are the specifics of what this person did to make a difference? What is the story? What are they known for?

# data[].attributes.body
Anne Frank is famous for the diary she kept during her time in hiding. She wrote about her daily life as well as the oppression Jews faced at that time, giving people today a great example of what the Holocaust was like for Jews.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anne Frank was a German girl and Jewish victim of the Holocaust who is famous for keeping a diary of her experiences. Anne and her family went into hiding for two years to avoid Nazi persecution. Her documentation of this time is now published in The Diary of a Young Girl.

Early Years

She was born Annelies Marie Frank on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Her parents were Otto and Edith Frank.

For the first 5 years of her life, Anne lived with her parents and older sister, Margot, in an apartment on the outskirts of Frankfurt. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, Otto Frank fled to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where he had business connections. The rest of the Frank family soon followed, with Anne being the last of the family to arrive in February 1934 after staying with her grandparents in Aachen.

The Fate of Jews in Amsterdam

The fate of the Frank family and other Jews in Amsterdam was wrapped up with the German occupation of the city, which began in May 1940. In early 1942, the Germans began preparations to deport Jews from the Netherlands to killing centers in the east. At this time, they required all Dutch Jews to be concentrated in Amsterdam. They also decided to intern all non-Dutch Jews in Westerborktransit camp. From Westerbork, German officials deported the Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Sobibor killing centers in German-occupied Poland. The first deportation transport left Westerbork on July 15, 1942, for Auschwitz-Birkenau. These deportations and the escalating anti-Jewish measures alarmed many Jews in the Netherlands, including the Franks.

In Hiding

During the first half of July 1942, Anne and her family went into hiding. They were eventually joined by four other Jews as well-Hermann, Auguste, and Peter van Pels, and Fritz Pfeffer. For two years, they lived in a secret apartment at 263 Prinsengracht Street. The apartment was located behind the business offices where Otto Frank had worked as company director. Anne referred to the hiding place in her diary as the Secret Annex. Otto Frank's friends and colleagues, Johannes Kleiman, Victor Kugler, Johan Voskuijl, Bep Voskuijl, Jan Gies, and Miep Gies, had helped to prepare the hiding place and smuggled food and clothing to the Franks at great risk to their own lives.

While in hiding, Anne kept a diary in which she recorded her fears, hopes, and experiences.

What Happened to Anne Frank and Her Family?

On August 4, 1944, the German SS and police discovered the hiding place. It has been long thought that the authorities acted after being tipped off by an anonymous Dutch caller. But a more recent theory is that the Germans discovered the hiding place by chance, while investigating reports that illegal work and fraud with ration coupons were occurring at the house.

That day, an SS Sergeant ( Hauptscharführer) named Karl Silberbauer and two Dutch policemen arrested the Franks. The Gestapo sent the family to Westerbork transit camp on August 8. One month later, on September 3, 1944, SS and police authorities placed the Franks and the four others hiding with them on a train transport to Auschwitz-Birkenau in German-occupied Poland. This was the last transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz.

The transport arrived in Auschwitz two days later with 1,019 Jews on board. Men and women were separated. All of the Secret Annex residents were selected for forced labor.

Like other Jews selected for labor, the women chosen from this transport, including Anne, Edith, and Margot, were tattooed with prisoner numbers. Records indicating their exact numbers have not been preserved. Although Anne Frank's death certificate documents her movement between camps, it does not include her tattoo ID number either.

Anne and her sister, Margot were transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany in early November 1944.

The Fate of the Frank Family: How and When Did Anne Frank Die?

Anne Frank died in February or March 1945, shortly before British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945. Anne Frank died at the age of 15. Margot Frank died at the age of 19, also in February or March 1945. Both Margot and Anne died of typhus.

SS officials also selected Anne's parents for labor. Anne's mother, Edith died in Auschwitz in early January 1945.

Only Anne's father, Otto, survived the war. He was liberated from Auschwitz by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945. Otto was presented later with Anne's writings, which were preserved by Miep Gies one of the Dutch citizens who had hidden the Franks. Otto Frank was integral to getting his daughter's diary published. The diary of Anne Frank is the first, and sometimes only, exposure many people have to the history of the Holocaust. Anne Frank's writings also included short stories, fairy tales, and essays.

The home where the Franks hid in Amsterdam continues to attract a large audience. Now known as the Anne Frank House, it drew more than 1.2 million visitors in 2017.

Last Edited: Aug 3, 2021

Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anne Frank Biography: Who was Anne Frank?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anne Frank is among the most well-known of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust. Discover who Anne Frank was and what happened to her.

# data[].attributes.headline
What adversity did this person experience that motivated them to make a difference in the world?

# data[].attributes.subject
What adversity did this person experience that motivated them to make a difference in the world?

# data[].attributes.body
The Nazis invaded the Netherlands where Anne Frank was living with her family. The Jews were oppressed and Anne's father, Otto lost his business. Eventually, her sister, Margot, was called to go to a "labor camp," leading the Franks to decide to go into hiding where they held that position for two years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anne Frank was a Jewish teenager who went into hiding during the Holocaust, journaling her experiences in the renowned work ‘The Diary of Anne Frank.’

# data[].attributes.headline
What is this person’s background? Where did they grow up? Under what circumstances?

# data[].attributes.subject
What is this person’s background? Where did they grow up? Under what circumstances?

# data[].attributes.body
Anne Frank is a famous girl who was a Jew during the Holocaust. She was born in 1929 and moved to the Netherlands with her family to escape the Hitler and the conditions in Germany. However, only a few years later, the Nazis invaded and took control of Poland and the Netherlands, eventually placing harsh laws over Jews. Anne Frank's family hid in a secret annex for the next several years to escape the persecution until they were found and sent to concentration camps. Anne and all of the people hiding in the annex, besides her father, Otto, died in the following years. However, during her stay in the annex, Anne Frank wrote a journal which was found and published afterword. Her journal is still being read today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Who was Anne Frank? | Anne Frank House | Explained