Anne Frank And Her Diary

In the 70 years since the death of Anne Frank, her diary has become one of the most poignant and detailed accounts of the lives of Jewish civilians in Western Europe during the holocaust in 1945.

The Diary of a Young Girl was the first coming-of-age story I’d ever read. And it really hit home.

The diary of Anne Frank describes the tense and demanding daily life of eight people living together in a small, hidden confine, under the constant threat of being captured during one of history’s worst wars, the holocaust in 1945. Her writings reveal a teenage girl with creativity, wisdom, depth of emotion and experience far beyond her years.

I remember crying. I just couldn’t imagine living life for two years in a small confine every day and night, not being able to go outside. And sitting still all day, because otherwise they could hear you, and that could be your death.

On my gap-year through Europe, I made a point of visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where for two years Anne, together with her parents, her sister and four other Jewish souls hid in a secret annex before the Nazis tracked them down.

I remember memories from Anne’s diary came flooding back from the minute I stepped through the entrance and hit my head on the low-hanging door frame, something Anne mentioned happening to her as she came through the door as well.

I remember there was an unspoken agreement among all the visitors to walk through the tiny rooms quietly and respectfully, which only makes the atmosphere even more somber and emotional.

I remember that after an exhibition area, a small door leads into a small, dark room where Anne’s actual diary is kept, along with pages of her other writings preserved behind glass. I remember feeling overwhelmed, claustrophobic and heartbroken. It’s hard to believe all this happened only 70 years ago. It is an experience I will never forget.