# Anne Frank



## tom_bombadil (Apr 24, 2013)

Having recently returned from 6 days in The Netherlands, which included a visit to Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, I was interested in finding out if people have read her Diary and if any others have paid a visit to the house.

We arrived at the House at around 5 in the evening, if it hadn't have been for the long snaking queue outside it would have seemed a house just like any other. If you've been to Amsterdam before you will be aware of the style of houses they have along the canals. If not I suggest having a look as I personally think they are fantastically designed, all the houses are very tall, around four floors, and yet appear from the front to be very narrow as well, however it is in the depth where they gain most of the space. However such tall, narrow and deep houses leads to extremely steep stairs, so to compromise for this all houses have a large hook attached to the front which can be lowered and used to haul up goods and furniture. Anyway, enough about Dutch Houses.

The queue lasted for around 45 minutes but as it was a sunny afternoon we didn't really notice the time. The only negative thing about the wait was a Dutch man nearby loudly shouting Anti Semitic remarks, however he swiftly departed. The house itself is not free to enter, but the money paid is not a lot and all goes to the Anne Frank Foundation, which I believe is a very good cause. 

The tour of the house is done at your own pace, we took around 3 hours, but I imagine others would go quicker. You walk through the factory area of the building, which we learnt the Franks had to transfer into a friends name after the Nazi occupation in order to prevent its seizure. As you walk through the story of Anne and her family unfolds, and eventually you reach the bookcase behind which the 8 people hid. The area in which they hid for just over two years is tiny. The area does not contain any of the original fixtures and furniture that was used as this was seized by the Nazis after the arrest and it was felt that putting it all back after the house opened as a museum would have been wrong, which I whole heartedly agree with. In Anne's room you can still see the pictures which she glued to the wall and which the Nazis were unable to remove.

On leaving the annex you come to a room which explains about the betrayal and the subsequent fate of the 8 who hid. This for me was the most startling room. The full horrors of the Nazi atrocities came home to me like never before.

I could write on and on about our experiences there but honestly I think the best thing is to visit, if anyone ever gets a chance I greatly urge them to go.


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## Maiden_of Harad (Apr 24, 2013)

I read her diary once, and her writing is very vivid, moving, and even profound. I especially was intrigued by how suffering deepened her soul, and caused her to meditate on things she might never have if she had not undergone such deprivation.I have an interest in the Holocaust in general as well, which is why I read her diary.


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## Eledhwen (Apr 24, 2013)

I was in Amsterdam last month, but couldn't face joining the queue for the museum; I'll content myself with having read the book. *This video* of Otto Frank might interest a few.


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## Starbrow (Apr 24, 2013)

I was there 30 years ago. I was very moving to me even though I hadn't read her diary. I think it would be even more touching now that I've read it. I still cannot understand the hate that drives the terrible things humans do to each other.


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