Homework Help: Social Studies: People: The Tale of Determined Anne Frank

Do you think of sports, activities, and roasting marshmallows by the campfire when you think of camp? Well, think again. If you were to think about camp during 1942, you would think of torment, torture, and death. That is well of course, if you were to think of a concentration or death camp. What one girl in particular had to go through is unthinkable; even to explain in words. She went through very risky times. But she had the character to persist on with her life and beliefs. Her name was Anne Frank.

Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She was born Jewish. Her intense and persistent family consisted of: a sister, Margot Frank and her parents, Edith and Otto Frank. Anne Frank was born during very hectic times. This was when many Germans had a hard time in their jobs. They had to pay attention to Adolf Hitler?s speeches filled with disgust about Germans. Adolf Hitler was the Nazi party leader. The Nazis and Hitler despised the Jews. They said that Germany?s problems were mainly based on Jews. Hitler also believed that the Jews were dishonest and dangerous to Germans. After Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, he made laws harsher than ever. He took control of every portion of Jewish daily life. These included jobs for Jews, school for children, and books Jews wrote. Nazis would burn the books and stores and public places were boycotted. So soon enough, Anne?s dad decided to move to Amsterdam, Holland.

Anne was only 4 years old, but her life had changed for the better. She went to a pleasant school called the Montessori School. Anne would be given main parts in school plays since she was the liveliest and friendliest of all. She had a vision of being a famous writer or movie star. But on May 10, 1940, the German army invaded Holland. No Jew was able to escape the Nazi soldiers. They surrounded every border and train station. Jews were required to have on a yellow star, to show that they were Jews. Movie theaters, parks, swimming pools, or rides in cars, trains, or bicycles, were forbidden to Jewish people. Anne changed her Dutch school to the Jewish Secondary School. During June 1942, Anne became 13. One of the gifts she received was a blank book. Anne decided to make it a diary and name it ?Kitty?. Then, on July 5th 1942, Margot was prearranged by the Nazis to go to labor camp. Over there, she would work in a factory. But her parent?s knew what the camps were like. They were used for the purpose of persecuting and killing Jews in particular. So they decided to go into hiding, instead of letting Margot go to a camp. Anne?s dad Otto decided it would be best for them to hide in the building of his working place, or so called the ?Secret Annex?. Anne took her diary, schoolbooks, and letters with her. She later said, ?Memories mean more to me than dresses?.

Where Anne stayed was a secret entrance behind a bookshelf. She lived with four other friends. They were Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, their lad Peter, and a dentist named, Dr. Albert Dussel. Usually, the daring Dutch friends would bring food, books, and other objects from outside the building. Not everything done in the Annex was done seriously. Anne would spend her free time pasting movie star photos on her wall. She would also study her favorite subject, Greek Mythology. By reading Greek Mythology, Anne could get away from her crammed life. She would say that she would?ve ??eaten so many kidney beans and haricot beans that (she couldn?t) bear the sight of them anymore.? The adults quarrelling would also exhaust her. There was a large amount of fear in the ?Secret Annex? too. Nearby was the sound of gun shooting and bomb shelling during the night. During 1944, thieves had come and robbed the warehouse below the ?Secret Annex?. Anne and her family feared that if the thieves had found out that they were hiding upstairs, they would?ve informed the police

Anne had lots of persistency and bravery regardless of this war going on. She promised in her diary that she would, ??go out into the world and work for mankind?, after the battle. In her diary, Anne would inscribe on information about the war and her developing love for Peter Van Dussel. Intended to her diary, she wrote, ?I hope I shall be able to confide in you?and I hope that you will be a great support and comfort to me.?

On August 4, 1944, Dutch Nazis and a German police officer invaded the "Secret Annex". Then the Frank family and the rest of the people staying there were transported to the concentration camp at Westerbork. They stayed in a ?punishment barrack? because they had not given themselves up when they were called to surrender themselves; instead, they went into hiding.

Then on September 3, 1944, the eight prisoners were sent to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. The boxcars they stayed in were jam-packed and diseases were spread quickly. After weeks, Anne and Margot had to leave their mom Edith, and were sent to the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. Anne was extremely lucky given that the children under 15 were murdered the very next day. Since Anne was 15, she passed the worst. But that wasn?t the fact for the next few days. Anne and her sister Margot were diagnosed with Typhus because of the crowded condition. In crowded spaces, diseases would multiply quickly. There was rarely any food to consume and Anne and Margot would freeze from the weather. When Anne found out that lice was on her clothes, she took them off and wrapped herself in a towel. In March 1945, Margot died, and Anne followed a few days soon after. Anne had told a friend of hers there, ??she didn?t have any parent?s anymore?. Her friend had said that she thought Anne ??might have had more strength to survive? if she knew her dad was alive.

Otto was the only one to live from the eight that lived in the ?Secret Annex? after the war. The war ended by the British freeing the prisoners in all concentration and death camps. Otto had gone to Amsterdam to live with Miep Gies, a lady who helped supply food and books to the Frank?s during their stay in the Annex. Miep wasn?t a Jew, so the German officer and Nazis did not persecute her. She had saved Anne?s diary, some books, and family photos after the Franks had left for the camps. She then showed Anne?s diary to Otto. He was amazed at how Anne had kept every detail of what was going on in the ?Secret Annex?. Other people who read the diary had urged him to publish it.

Later, when an article in the newspaper talked about Anne?s diary, a publisher was found. Over 2,000 copies were sold during the summer of 1947!! Today, over 2 million copies are sold; and they are only the hardcover books!! Imagine the number of diaries sold that are not hardcover!! Now Anne?s dream of becoming a writer was accomplished. Years later, the diary was translated into over 60 languages! A movie has been made, and schools and streets are named after her. There is also an Anne Frank Foundation today. This foundation helps younger children understand the different international problems going on in the world. Anne?s dream of becoming worldwide famous, was accomplished.

Anne Frank has shown us the true understanding of life. She has shown us how loathing can become atrocious. Her diary gives us the insight on how life is so precious and how anyone should be pleased with how they spend their each and every moment. Everyday is to be and always be cherished with whatever lies ahead.

Homework Help: Social Studies: People

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