The annex in Amsterdam, where Anne Frank, her parents, sister, and three other Jews hid from the Nazis, has been recreated at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan.
Their story was immortalized in the book, The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank’s Diary), which has sold over 30 million copies in more than 70 languages.
When Anne’s sister, Margot, was ordered to report to a “German work camp,” their father Otto hid the family in a two-story attic upstairs from Otto’s business. Four of Otto’s employees brought food and information while they hid from July 6, 1942, until their tragic discovery on August 4, 1944. Otto had a business selling an ingredient to make jam at home.
Anne Frank received her first diary from her father for her 13th birthday on June 12, 1942, and immediately started writing in it. She eventually wrote in several diaries and notebooks.
After their discovery by the Fascists, two of Otto’s employees, Miep Gies and Bep Voskuij, found Anne’s writings on the floor in the annex. Miep kept them in her office drawer to give them back upon their return. Only Otto survived the Holocaust, liberated from Auschwitz on January 27, 1945.
The bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, and even the stairs leading up to the annex have been replicated using the same era furniture as those found in Amsterdam. (Even the ones at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam are replicas, not originals.) The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam was empty when it opened on 5/3/1960. In 1961, Otto Frank and Miep Gies went to antique shops and furniture shops to find the same make and era beds and furniture they used while in hiding, according to Michael Glickman of jMUSE, one of the organizers of the exhibition.
One is struck by how small the rooms and living spaces are for the eight people. They played board games like Monopoly, listened to the BBC news on the radio, and used the bathroom at night so employees below wouldn’t hear anything. This exhibit has the same pictures of Hollywood stars cut out from magazines Anne put up in her room.
After the Nazis went through the hiding place in the annex, a Dutch company shipped the original furniture, beds, and other valuables to German families. “It was standard procedure,” said Glickman.
More than 100 originals at the exhibit include Anne Frank’s first photo album (1929-1942), Anne Frank’s typed and handwritten invitation to her friend for a film screening in her home (by 1942, it was illegal for Jews to attend the cinema), and handwritten verses by Anne Frank in her friends’ poetry albums. Their tablecloth and dishes, and Edith Frank’s (the mother) Torah and book, Spinoza’s Ethik, are on display.
They kept a kosher home but were not Orthodox. Anne mentions in her diary observing Yom Kippur and Chanukah as well as celebrating birthdays. There is a replica of Anne’s writing desk.
The exhibit traces the Franks’ family life in Frankfurt, Germany, where they had lived for three generations. During World War I, Otto Frank was promoted to Lieutenant and given the Iron Cross 2nd class for his service in a German artillery unit. Nearly 100,000 Jews fought for Germany during World War I; 77,000 were on the front lines, 12,000 were killed, and 30,000 received medals.
With the rise of Nazism, Otto went to Amsterdam in July 1933 to set up a business. His wife Edith and daughter Margot joined him in December 1933. Anne arrived in February 1934. Anne and Margot went to a Montessori school and quickly learned Dutch.
The rise of Nazism and Fascism in Holland are also traced and explained in videos, photos, and sounds, with artifacts like an SS dagger. Dutch police, collaborators, and Fascists and their roles are shown.
About 160,000 Jews were living in Holland, and 80,000 were in Amsterdam when World War II started. 25,000 Jews went into hiding in Amsterdam and 10,000 were discovered. The exhibit shows who gave up the Franks’ hiding place to the Germans.
When Anne Frank’s diary was first published on 11/23/1947, Otto Frank said, “Anne would’ve been so proud.” She wrote in her diary how she hoped to be a journalist and a writer. Otto said of Anne, “I only learned to know her through her diary.”
There are photos of Jews being shot, but the whole exhibit is not too graphic and is child-appropriate. Educational tours for schools are often being done at the Center for Jewish History.
The exhibit started on International Holocaust Day, January 27, 2025, 80 years after Auschwitz was liberated. The exhibit was originally scheduled to go until April 30, 2025, but sold out in about two weeks. The exhibit has recently been extended to October 31, 2025.
New York City is the only place so far to have this exhibit. The exhibit can be seen by people with disabilities and the elderly. The exhibit doesn’t have steps; people walk on ramps from one room to the next. An elevator can take people to the second floor.
The museum, located at 15 West 16th Street, is open on Sundays. You must reserve a day and time to visit the exhibit. Go to cjh.org or call 212-294-8301 for more information and/or tickets.
By David Schneier