The Girl Behind the Diary
How in a time of great despair, Anne Frank never lost hope
Anne’s world as she had known for the past 2 years were only boot steps away from being a precious memory inside Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp. August fourth was an ordinary day for Anne and her family. However, all the hopes and dreams of being freed from the tiny hidden annex were about to be replaced with the reality of pain and suffering.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. a Dutch policeman and SS officer raided the building that Anne and the seven others were hiding in. The loyal employees of Otto Frank protected them for as long as they could, but the officers soon found the refugees, hiding in the secret annex. The police dumped all of their things on the floor, looking for anything with value. There, in Otto’s briefcase, was Anne’s most prized possession. The diary was thrown on the floor, and stayed there until the two families were taken away. Miep, who was a loyal worker for Otto, found the diary and kept it with her for the next 5 years, holding onto the hope that Anne and her family would return.
“I could tell from their footsteps that they were coming down like beaten dogs,” — Miep Gies
Miep and Jan take one last look at Anne and the others as they got into the green truck already crowded with many others who were just like them. The truck drove away and just like that Anne’s world had been flipped upside down. The truck took them to Auschwitz, where they went through a selection process and were forced to separate. Anne and her sister, Margot, were then taken to Bergen-Belsen. Just weeks before the Allied forces liberated the camp in 1945, Anne died from Typhus.
Growing up in the 30’s and early 40’s, Anne was widely known for always expressing her thoughts and feelings, being an optimist, and always caring for those around her. She was always surrounded by her friends and family, which she loved dearly. Unfortunately, Anne’s remarkable childhood soon turned into one of the biggest tragedies the world has ever seen. Due to the Nazi’s rise in power, Anne was set apart from the rest of her community for simply being Jewish. Small changes in the way Anne lived her life soon turned into life altering differences. By 1942, her family feared their safety and security, and because of this decided to live in the protection of the Annex above Otto’s business to keep from being deported.
Anne received a diary for her thirteenth birthday in 1942. The diary soon became her closest friend where she could talk about her aspirations, her boy troubles, and the usual struggles of being a young teenager. As Anne grew older and realized what was happening in the world around her, writing became more of an outlet for her. She used writing as an escape from all the problems she was faced with. She confided in her diary in the midst of loneliness and fear. She talked about her daily routine in the the annex, how she felt during these times, and her own philosophy on the world and faith.
“The nicest part is being able to write down all my thoughts and feelings; otherwise, I’d absolutely suffocate.”
Unlike most people, when facing adversity, Anne was not full of hatred for the people who were making her and her family suffer. In fact, she believed in the goodness of mankind. Instead of having a heart full of anger at the situation that was presented, Anne made a conscious decision to be sanguine in the midst of despair.
Although her life was cut short and was not anything less than a tragedy, Anne made a huge impact on the world we live in today. Her diary was first published in Dutch and soon was published in English along with 60 other languages. It became one of the most personable accounts of the Holocaust, and gave a new insight on the war through the life of a 15 year old. Her legacy lives on through her optimistic perspective on life, “that in spite of everything people are really good at heart.”
“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”