Otto Frank

Samkalden en Otto Frank (vader van Anne) bij het beeldje, Bestanddeelnr 929-0706

Otto Heinrich Frank (12 May 1889 – 19 August 1980) was a German-born businessman and the father of Anne Frank and Margot Frank. As the sole member of his family to survive the Holocaust, he inherited Anne's manuscript after her death, deciding to publish it in 1947 as The Diary of a Young Girl. His efforts led to the posthumous fame of his daughter and made the Secret Annex in Amsterdam, where the Frank family hid during World War II, a well-known historical site.

Early Life

Otto Frank was born into a liberal Jewish family in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He served in the German Army during World War I, earning the Iron Cross for his service. After the war, he worked in the family bank before venturing into his own business.

Family and Emigration

In 1925, Otto married Edith Holländer, and the couple had two daughters: Margot (born 1926) and Anne (born 1929). As the Nazi Party gained power in Germany, Otto Frank moved his family to Amsterdam in 1933, where he established a business. However, after the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, the Frank family went into hiding in 1942 in the secret annex of Otto's business premises.

The Secret Annex and the Holocaust

For two years, the Frank family lived in the hidden annex along with four other Jewish people. They were supported by Otto's employees, who provided them with food and news from the outside world. In August 1944, the group was betrayed, arrested, and deported to Nazi concentration camps. Otto Frank was sent to Auschwitz, where he was separated from his family. He survived the camp but learned upon his liberation that his wife and daughters had perished, Anne and Margot from typhus in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in early 1945.

Post-War Life and Anne's Diary

After the war, Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam, where he was given Anne's diary by Miep Gies, one of the helpers of the secret annex. Initially hesitant, he decided to fulfill Anne's wish of becoming a published writer by editing and publishing her diary. The diary has since been translated into over 70 languages and is one of the world's most widely read books.

Otto Frank dedicated the rest of his life to fighting against Holocaust denial and promoting the message of his daughter's diary. He established the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, Switzerland, in 1963, aiming to collect funds to purchase and preserve the secret annex. Today, the Anne Frank House serves as a museum dedicated to the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Otto Frank passed away in Switzerland in 1980 but left behind a legacy that continues to educate and inspire people around the world about the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and discrimination.

Legacy

Otto Frank's decision to publish Anne's diary has had a lasting impact on how the world views the Holocaust. Through Anne's words, millions have learned about the human side of this tragic period in history. Otto's efforts in preserving the secret annex and his work with the Anne Frank Foundation have ensured that the lessons of the Holocaust continue to resonate with new generations.