Anne Frank

Anne Frank smiling for her school photograph, December 1941 (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl whose diary, created over two years in hiding during World War II, has since become one of the most read memoirs of the Holocaust.

Early Years

Annelies Marie Frank was born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany, the second daughter of Edith and Otto Frank. By 1934, the Franks had moved to Amsterdam, where Anne was a popular and gregarious student. Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, and restrictions and deportations to extermination camps increased.

Family in Hiding

In July 1942, Anne’s sister Margot received orders to report to a German work camp. The family went into hiding the next day in a concealed attic apartment in Otto’s business building that Anne called the “Secret Annex.” Jewish business associate Hermann van Pels joined them a week later with his wife Auguste and their son Peter. Fritz Pfeffer moved in with the group in November. Employees smuggled food, supplies, and news into the secret house. All lived in constant fear of discovery.

Arrest and Death

Acting on a tip, the Gestapo discovered the annex on August 4, 1944. All eight inhabitants were arrested and sent to the Westerbork holding camp until September, when they were transported by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. Here the families were divided. Anne and Margot Frank were sent to Bergen-Belsen in Germany.

In February 1945, both Anne and Margot Frank contracted typhus in an epidemic that swept through the camp. Their exact death dates are unknown, but fifteen-year-old Anne died within days of her sister.

Anne Frank’s Diary

While living in the Secret Annex, Anne’s stories, essays, and feelings on people, love, war, humanity and identity went into a diary she’d received for her 13th birthday, a month before going into hiding. It was published posthumously as Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by her father, the only one of the group to survive the camps. It has been translated into multiple languages and adapted for stage and film. The Secret Annex, made familiar to the world through Anne’s book, is now the Anne Frank House museum.

Learn more about Anne Frank through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about Anne Frank

Sep. 1, 1939: Chicago Daily Tribune front page on the day Germany invades Poland, starting WWII Fri, Sep 1, 1939 – 1 · Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Newspapers.comDeportations and restrictions for Jewish Hollanders while Frank Family is in hiding in Amsterdam Fri, Oct 2, 1942 – Page 1 · The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.com1952 review of "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" 09 Jul 1952, Wed The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri) Newspapers.comReview of "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" from 1952, written during 2 years in hiding Sun, Sep 7, 1952 – 115 · The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina) · Newspapers.comExcerpt from Diary of a Young Girl, published in English 1952, includes floor plan of Secret Annex Mon, Oct 6, 1952 – 13 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.comExterior photos of the Anne Frank House and "Secret Annex," published in 1958 04 May 1958, Sun Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) Newspapers.comHidden house where Anne Frank lived, wrote her diary, opens to the public as a museum, May 1960 Tue, May 3, 1960 – 30 · The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana) · Newspapers.comSummary of Netherlands and Frank family situation 1940-1942, Margot's call to work camp Sat, Jul 7, 1979 – 10 · The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington) · Newspapers.com1980 announcement of death of Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father and sole survivor from the Annex Wed, Aug 20, 1980 – 9 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.comAmsterdam's Westerkerk hosts Anne Frank exhibition in 1985 on 40th anniversary of her death 01 Sep 1985, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.comPhoto showing pages from Anne Frank's first diary, official government picture, and letter envelope 13 Dec 1985, Fri The Miami News (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.comPaper publishes photo showing Anne Frank and sister Margot, 2 years before family went into hiding 15 Dec 1985, Sun The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.com1987 article on Fritz Pfeffer, Anne's Secret Annex roommate, sheds more light on his personality Thu, Nov 12, 1987 – 11 · The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) · Newspapers.com1988 article mentions documentary's grim details of Anne Frank's death from typhus in Bergen-Belsen Thu, May 5, 1988 – 12 · The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.comPhoto of Margot and Anne Frank, last known photo of the two together as stated in caption Mon, Sep 27, 1999 – 42 · Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) · Newspapers.comA timeline of the events of Anne Frank's life and diary publication, adaptations Sun, Apr 8, 2001 – 43 · Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.comHermann, Auguste, Peter van Pels join the Franks in hiding in the Secret Annex, July 13, 1942 Tue, Jul 3, 2001 – Page 11 · Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, North Carolina) · Newspapers.comInhabitants of the Secret Annex, their helpers, photo of the room Anne shared with Fritz Pfeffer Tue, Jul 3, 2001 – Page 11 · Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, North Carolina) · Newspapers.com"Edith and Otto Frank hold daughter Anne during a happier time." Photo of Anne Frank's parents Sun, May 5, 2002 – Page 284 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.comPhoto of Anne Frank circa 1942, the year the Frank family went into hiding in the Secret Annex Thu, Apr 28, 2005 – H15 · The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida) · Newspapers.com