Anne Frank

This is a Picture of Anne Frank (Picture of Anne Frank. . May 25, 2005. <http://www.annefrank.com/jpgs/illustration_anne2.jpg>)

Annelies Marie Frank, also known as Anne Frank, was a Jewish-German girl as well as one of our best links to the horrors of World War II. By reading her diary we can learn not to repeat the mistakes and cruelties held against her and all Jews, present even in the smallest form of racism today. That is the reason why she is my hero; how many people who have passed away still have such an impact on our world over a half a century later?

This is a Pictur of Anne Franks Diary (The Diary. . May 25, 2005.)

Anne was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1933 her parents and sister moved to the Netherlands to try to escape some of the persecution that was happening to Jews because of the Nazi’s. That means that when she was only about four years old, barely able to talk, she and her family had to worry about being taken away from there home, possibly split up, and other much more horrible things.

Anne named her diary “Kitty.” On June 12, 1942 she wrote “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.” That was her very first entry in “Kitty”; at the time she did not know that she would be going to have to go into hiding.

On July 9, 1942 Anne explained how she was walking with her mother and father in the pouring rain with bags filled to the rim with items. They walked to her father’s office building which had the secret annex inside. The family had planned to go there on July 16, 1942, but Anne’s older sister Margot got a call-up, so the plan was moved 10 days earlier (July 6, 1942) for the day that they would move into the secret annex.

In her entry about the secret (July 9) after describing the annex, that she shared with 7 other people, she wrote: “So there you are. Now I’ve introduced you to the whole of our lovely Annex!” She looked at everything positively, even in the worst moments.

Anne Frank lived in that Annex for about 3 years. On the morning of August 4, 1944, a car pulled up to the building in which the secret annex was, and 8 people were arrested, Anne being one of them.

Anne and her sister after going through several camps, ended up in Bergen-Belen in late October. That winter the Typhus epidemic broke loose and killed thousands of people. Anne’s sister died, then Anne did too. Even though it was a disease that killed Anne and many others, it was the camps terrible hygienic conditions that caused the disease.

Otto Frank (Anne's Father) found Anne’s diary in the annex and published it (she had wanted it published after hearing a speech on the radio).

To me a hero is someone who inspires you and makes you want to be a better person. Anne is my hero because when I read her diary, I really understood the hardships that happened during World War II, and not from an adult’s perspective, but from someone who I can relate to, someone my age. From reading Anne's diary I realize that my life could be a lot worse.

I know that I can’t change the past but because of Anne's diary, we can prevent it from happening again. The war is over, but there are still small wars going on everywhere in all different forms; maybe on a playground a Jewish child is being teased for wearing a Yamica (A traditional Jewish hat for boys), and someone who has read Anne’s diary or has heard of her troubles, might stick up for them. Anne changed the world, and even in death she is making it a better place. It was not fair how she was persecuted, but she is truly my hero.