Opekta

Opekta

Opekta is a company that was founded in Germany in the early 20th century, known for producing pectin, a gelling agent used for making jam and jelly. The company gained historical significance due to its association with Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who wrote a diary during the Holocaust. Anne Frank's father, Otto Frank, was an employee and later the managing director of Opekta's Amsterdam branch. The secret annex where Anne and her family hid during the World War II was actually located behind the Opekta offices in Amsterdam.

History

Opekta was established in Germany in the 1920s. The company specialized in the production of pectin, which is extracted from apples and citrus fruits. Pectin is widely used in the food industry as a thickening agent, particularly in the making of jams and jellies. The company expanded its operations across Europe, including the Netherlands, where it opened a branch in Amsterdam in the 1930s.

In the late 1930s, with the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and the increasing persecution of Jews, Otto Frank moved to the Netherlands and took over the management of Opekta's Amsterdam branch. The office and warehouse of Opekta in Amsterdam provided the perfect front for the secret annex where Otto Frank hid his family, including his daughter Anne, from the Nazis during the occupation of the Netherlands.

The Secret Annex

The secret annex behind the Opekta offices became one of the most famous hideouts in history, thanks to Anne Frank's diary. The Frank family, along with four other Jewish people, hid in the annex from 1942 until their discovery by the Nazis in 1944. Anne Frank's diary, which she wrote while in hiding, provides a detailed account of their life in the annex, the fear of discovery, and her thoughts and aspirations during the war. After the war, Otto Frank, the sole survivor of the Frank family, published Anne's diary, which has since become one of the most important personal accounts of the Holocaust and a significant piece of world literature.

Legacy

Today, the building that housed Opekta's offices and the secret annex is known as the Anne Frank House, a museum dedicated to the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. The museum also focuses on educating visitors about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism, and discrimination.

Opekta itself, while primarily remembered for its connection to the Frank family and the Holocaust, remains a part of the history of food production and the use of natural ingredients in the industry. The company's development and distribution of pectin contributed to advancements in food preservation and preparation techniques.