Anne Frank

Anne Frank pictured in May 1942 (Google Images)

Think back to your early teenage years. How did you deal with misunderstanding parents, annoying siblings, and crushes? Did you keep a diary to write in? Maybe for guys, you could call it a “journal.” Either name you call it, it is a simple book that holds your deepest thoughts and feelings that you wouldn’t dare express to anyone. Now, imagine having to deal with all of this teenage angst while trying to stay hidden in the attic of the building your father used to work in.

Annelies Marie Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany to Otto and Edith Frank. She was their second daughter, after her older sister, Margot Frank. The Franks were a middle class, liberal Jewish family whose ancestors had lived in Germany for centuries. Unfortunately, when the Nazis gained control over Germany in the year 1933, the Frank family moved out of their home country to Amsterdam in fear of anti-Semitic demonstrations. During this time, Anne attended a Montessori school and was known by classmates and teachers as being honest, outspoken, and energetic. However, both Anne and her sister Margot were forced to attend the Jewish Lyceum when Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940. For her birthday in 1942, Anne received a red and white checkered “autograph book”, which she chose to keep as a diary. Almost immediately she began to write about her everyday life, including details of the restrictions being placed on Jews by Germany. After Margot received a notice ordering her to report for relocation to a work camp, Anne and her Jewish family was forced into hiding by the Nazis when they gained control over Germany.

Het Achterhuis (1947), cover of the first edition (Google Images)

This was just the beginning of a long two years and one month the Frank family would be hiding from the Nazis with one other family and gentleman. It is at this point Anne becomes agitated with everyone in the close quarters, and begins to turn to her diary “Kitty”, her only friend. Over the long months spent practicing arithmetic and being careful not to be acknowledged by any neighbors, it is depicted in her diary that Anne is growing wiser beyond her years with each passing day. “Although I'm only fourteen, I know quite well what I want; I know who is right and who is wrong. I have my opinions, my own ideas and principles, and although it may sound pretty mad from an adolescent, I feel more of a person than a child, I feel quite independent of anyone.”

Memorial for Margot and Anne Frank (Google Images)

On the day of August 4, 1944, the Secret Annex was stormed by the Germany Security Police following a tip from a still unknown informer. The Frank family was split up when the women were transported to Auschwitz. While Anne and Margot were later transferred to Bergen-Belsen, their mother Edith was left at Auschwitz and died of starvation. In March of 1945, a typhus epidemic spread throughout the Bergen-Belsen camp and claimed approximately 17,000 lives, including Margot’s and Anne’s. Although Anne had previously thought her father had been immediately killed after their separation, he was the only member of the family to survive. After the war he returned to Amsterdam and attempted to locate his family, but learned later of their deaths. He finally succeeded to have Anne’s diary published in the year 1950, five years after the death of The Young Girl.

I can’t even begin to explain how much courage it must take to endure such a hardship so early in their life. This is my single definition of a hero, simply because the emotion Anne was able to portray through her simple writings and observations triumphed over the evil that was conquering the world outside the Secret Annex. Her inspiring story continues to touch people’s hearts today, and hopefully will continue to do so for many years to come. Her tragedy is by far more important than my critical analysis of what a hero is, because I just know she is my hero. She is Anne Frank.