© Anne Frank Stichting / Anne Frank Fonds Bazel
Anne at the Jewish school
Anne smiles for the school photographer. This photo was taken on 11 December 1941, Anne is twelve years old. Her sister Margot was also photographed as were many other school friends. Anne has attended the Jewish Lyceum since 1 October 1941.
By order of the Nazis, Jewish children are no longer allowed to attend regular schools. Special schools have been set up for them. Jewish teachers have already been fired because Jews are no longer allowed to work for the civil service. Now with the Jewish schools there is work for them. Despite the difficult circumstances many pupils have good memories about the Jewish Lyceum. There were good teachers and despite everything they felt safe there.
Farewell
In her diary Anne writes about saying goodbye to her teacher Mrs. Kuperus: ‘At the end of the year we were both in tears as we said a heartbreaking farewell, because I’d been accepted at the Jewish Lyceum, where Margot also went to school.’
-Anne Frank 20 June 1942
Mistress Chatterback
At the Jewish Lyceum, Anne is well known as a funny girl who likes to be the centre of attention. Anne gets on well with all her teachers. Only her math teacher, Mr Keesing, is cross with her for a while because she always talks in his lessons. Her punishment is to write an essay entitled ‘Quack, quack, quack said Mistress Chatterback’.
Anne writes a poem and everyone has a good laugh about it including Mr Keesing. From then on he calls her ’Mistress Chatterback’.
More about the Jewish Lyceum
Dineke Hondius has written a short history of the Jewish Lyceum together with former student Miep Gompes-Lobatto.
Absent: Herinneringen aan het Joods Lyceum Amsterdam, 1941-1943(Amsterdam: Vassallucci, 2001)
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Forbidden for Jews
Many measures to separate Jews and non-Jews are introduced. Jews become more and more isolated within the community and are eventually easily removed from society.
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