What Happened to Miep Gies and Her Husband?
by Sona
Updated May 16, 2023
Who is Miep Gies?
Miep Gies, whose full name was Hermine Gies, was a courageous individual from the Netherlands who played a significant role during World War II. She became well-known for her involvement in hiding Anne Frank, her family, and four other Jewish individuals from the Nazis. Miep was originally from Vienna, Austria, but she was brought to Leiden, the Netherlands, in 1920 to escape the food shortages that followed World War I.
At the age of eleven, she became a foster child of a Dutch family and developed a strong bond with them. Although her initial stay was intended to last only six months, it was extended to one year due to her fragile health. Miep chose to stay with the family and spent the remainder of her life in the Netherlands.
What Happened to Miep Gies and Her Husband?
Miep Gies and her husband Jan Gies played a significant role in protecting Anne Frank and her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. After the war, Otto Frank, Anne's father, lived with the Gieses for seven years. Miep gave Otto the diary that she had saved from the wreckage of the post-Nazi raid, which became the basis for Anne's famous diary.
Jan died in 1993 at the age of 87 due to kidney failure. Miep passed away in 2010 at the age of 100 after suffering injuries from a fall. Despite her incredible actions in protecting Anne Frank and others, Miep did not consider herself a hero, stating that she was only willing to do what was asked of her and what seemed necessary at the time.
On her 100th birthday, she asked that the unnamed heroes who helped the Dutch Jews be remembered, including her husband Jan, who was a resistance fighter but never sought recognition. In 2009, Miep was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.
Who is Miep Gies Husband Jan Gies?
Jan Gies, also known as Jan Augustus Gies, was a key figure in the Dutch Resistance during World War II. He was married to Miep Gies, and together, they played a crucial role in sheltering Anne Frank, her family, and other individuals from Nazi persecution. Although Jan was not employed at Otto Frank's company, he served on the Supervisory Board and actively assisted those in hiding.
He frequently visited the Secret Annex and provided support, including books and distribution coupons. Jan initially met the Frank family through his fiancée, Miep Santrouschitz, and from 1936 onwards, he regularly attended their Saturday gatherings, where friends and acquaintances would gather.
What Happened to Miep Gies Husband?
Jan and Miep tied the knot during the summer of 1941. Their wedding was witnessed by Otto, with Anne accompanying him. As the war unfolded, Jan became actively involved in the resistance movement, playing a significant role in opposing the Nazi occupation. Jan Gies, the husband of Miep Gies, passed away in 1993 at the age of 87 due to kidney failure.
He died at home, surrounded by his loved ones. Jan was survived by his wife, Hermine "Miep" Gies, who lived to the age of 100 and passed away in 2010. They had a son named Paul Gies, who was born in 1950. Paul, along with his wife Lucie, and their three children, Erwin, Jeanine, and David, carry on the legacy of Jan and Miep Gies.
Miep Gies Child
Miep Gies and her husband Jan Gies had one child together named Paul Gies. Paul was born in 1950, and he was their only child. Miep continued to cherish the memory of Anne by using her shawl to keep her baby warm, as reported by The Guardian. Miep's connection to Anne and her efforts to hide Jews from the Nazis became her lasting legacy.
In the early 1990s, she wrote her memoir titled "Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family." Unfortunately, there is limited information available about Paul Gies, as he has maintained a relatively private life.
What Happened to Miep Gies and Her Husband - FAQs
Miep Gies, whose full name was Hermine Gies, was a courageous individual from the Netherlands who played a significant role during World War II.
Jan Gies, also known as Jan Augustus Gies, was a key figure in the Dutch Resistance during World War II. He was married to Miep Gies, and together, they played a crucial role in sheltering Anne Frank, her family, and other individuals from Nazi persecution.
Miep Gies and her husband Jan Gies played a significant role in protecting Anne Frank and her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Jan died in 1993 at the age of 87 due to kidney failure. Miep passed away in 2010 at the age of 100 after suffering injuries from a fall.
Miep and Jan met through their work at Otto Frank's company. They developed a close relationship and eventually got married in 1941.
Jan Gies died in 1993 at the age of 87 due to kidney failure. Miep Gies passed away in 2010, a month before her 101st birthday, after suffering injuries from a fall.