What Happened to Anne Frank and Her Family? Who Betrayed Her?
by Ushapriyanga
Updated May 09, 2023
What Happened to Anne Frank and Her Family?
In early November, approximately two months later, Anne and Margot were transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Meanwhile, Edith, their mother, stayed at Auschwitz-Birkenau but sadly succumbed to starvation in January 1945. Remarkably, Otto Frank, their father, managed to survive Auschwitz and eventually made his way back to Amsterdam following the end of the war.
Anne, along with her family and a small group of others, sought refuge from the Nazis in Amsterdam for over two years, concealing themselves in the hidden rooms of a building that now stands as a memorial to her. Tragically, on August 4, 1944, the Franks were discovered, and the following September, Anne, her mother, father, and sister Margot were transported by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a notorious concentration camp known for its deadly conditions and forced labor.
Following the raid and the Frank family's internment, Anne's diary, along with her surviving notebooks and papers, was discovered by Otto's secretary, Miep Gies, who had managed to save them. Despite her writings being preserved, Anne herself fell victim to typhus fever and passed away at the tender age of 15.
For many years, historians believed that her death occurred on March 31, 1945, a mere two weeks before the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen camp by American forces. However, after extensive interviews with survivors conducted by the Dutch Red Cross, it was estimated that Anne's death took place between March 1 and 31, 1945.
The Dutch authorities eventually settled on March 27 as the official date of Margot's death from the same disease, and March 31 as the official date of Anne's death. These dates were chosen to fulfill the requirements of Dutch probate laws, which necessitated an "officially established date" for Otto to include in the inheritance certificate concerning his "missing" daughters.
Who Betrayed Anne Frank and Her Family and Why?
An unexpected figure, Arnold van den Bergh, a prominent Jewish notary, emerged as the prime suspect in the investigation, which gained attention through its coverage on CBS's "60 Minutes."
The argument for his culpability was deemed "convincing, if not conclusive" by New York Times reviewer Alexandra Jacobs. However, the response from countries deeply invested in the story was less positive. In March, following a critical report by five Dutch historians, the Dutch publisher Ambo Anthos announced its decision to halt publication and remove the book from stores.
HarperCollins Germany also postponed the release but plans to publish a revised edition later this year.Sullivan, the author of the investigation, affirms her unwavering trust in the integrity of the inquiry.
She emphasizes that her primary objective was to provide a contextual understanding of the tragedy. Throughout the book, she portrays Amsterdam during World War II as a place plagued by scarcity, danger, and shifting political loyalties.
Death cast its shadow over the entire Dutch civilian population, but the Jewish community suffered the most, with the majority perishing in Nazi concentration camps. Sullivan asserts that it should be possible to comprehend that van den Bergh was just as much a victim as anyone else in that harrowing period.
When and Where was Anne Frank Born?
Annelies Marie Frank, known as Anne Frank, was a German-born Jewish girl who gained worldwide recognition for her diary documenting life in hiding during the Nazi persecution. She wrote about the daily experiences of her family while they were concealed in an attic in Amsterdam.
Anne Frank has become one of the most prominent figures in Holocaust history and her diary, originally titled "Het Achterhuis" (The Secret Annex) in Dutch, has been widely read since its posthumous publication in 1947. The book provides a vivid account of her life in hiding from 1942 to 1944, while the Netherlands was occupied by the Germans in World War II. It has inspired numerous adaptations in the form of plays and films.
Born on June 12, 1929, as Annelies or Anneliese Marie Frank, she entered the world at the Maingau Red Cross Clinic in Frankfurt, Germany. Her parents were Edith (née Holländer) and Otto Heinrich Frank, and she had an older sister named Margot. The Frank family belonged to a liberal Jewish community and did not strictly adhere to all Jewish customs and traditions.
They resided in a neighborhood where Jewish and non-Jewish citizens of diverse religions coexisted. Edith and Otto were caring parents who fostered intellectual pursuits and maintained an extensive library, encouraging their children to read. Initially, they lived at Marbachweg 307 in Frankfurt-Dornbusch, occupying two rented floors.
In 1931, they relocated to Ganghoferstrasse 24 in the Dichterviertel (Poets' Quarter), an affluent and progressive area of Dornbusch. Both of these residences still stand today.
How Old was Anne Frank When She Died?
Anne Frank's death occurred at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in either February or March 1945 at the age of 15, with the exact cause remaining uncertain. Evidence points to a typhus epidemic that swept through the camp, claiming the lives of approximately 17,000 prisoners.
Gena Turgel, a survivor who was acquainted with Anne in the camp, recounted her harrowing condition, describing her as delirious and feverish. Turgel shared that she had provided Anne with water for washing. The epidemic inflicted immense suffering on the inmates, with hundreds dying daily. Other diseases, including typhoid fever, were also rampant within the camp.
Witnesses later testified that Margot, in her weakened state, fell from her bunk and died from the shock. Anne passed away a day after Margot, although the specific dates of their deaths were not recorded. It was previously believed that their deaths occurred a few weeks prior to the liberation of the camp by British troops on April 15, 1945.
However, research conducted in 2015 suggested that their deaths might have taken place as early as February. Witnesses recalled observing typhus symptoms in the Frank sisters by February 7, and Dutch health authorities reported that most untreated typhus victims succumbed within 12 days of exhibiting initial symptoms. Additionally, Hanneli Goslar mentioned that her father, Hans Goslar, died one or two weeks after their first encounter, which was on February 25, 1945.
Following the war, it was estimated that out of the 107,000 Jews deported from the Netherlands between 1942 and 1944, only 5,000 survived. Approximately 30,000 Jews remained in the country, with many receiving assistance from the Dutch underground resistance. About two-thirds of this group managed to survive the war.
Otto Frank, Anne's father, survived his internment in Auschwitz. Upon the war's end, he returned to Amsterdam in June 1945 and sought refuge with Jan and Miep Gies while attempting to locate his family. Along his journey, he received the devastating news of his wife Edith's death. Despite his hopes, he eventually discovered that both Margot and Anne had also perished.
Otto made efforts to learn the fate of his daughters' friends and discovered that many of them had been killed. However, some of the Frank sisters' school friends had survived, as had extended family members of Otto and Edith Frank who had fled Germany in the mid-1930s, finding refuge in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
What Happened to Anne Frank and Her Family - FAQs
Anne Frank was a German-born Jewish girl who gained international recognition for the diary she kept while in hiding during the Nazi persecution. Her diary, published as "The Diary of a Young Girl," documented her experiences and thoughts while living in secret in an attic in Amsterdam.
Anne Frank's exact date of death is uncertain, but it is believed to have occurred in either February or March of 1945. She died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, most likely due to a typhus epidemic that plagued the camp.
The specific cause of Anne Frank's death cannot be determined with certainty. However, evidence suggests that she likely succumbed to the typhus epidemic that swept through Bergen-Belsen, resulting in the deaths of many prisoners, including Anne and her sister Margot.
"The Diary of a Young Girl," originally published in Dutch as "Het Achterhuis," gained worldwide fame after its publication in 1947. The diary offers a compelling and personal account of life during the Holocaust, and its candid portrayal of Anne's thoughts and emotions resonated with readers around the globe.
Anne Frank's story has become a symbol of resilience, hope, and the devastating impact of the Holocaust.