Overview

App Anne Frank House wins two Webby Awards

May 16, 2022 — The Anne Frank House has won two Webby Awards, leading international awards in the digital world, with the app The Bookcase for Tolerance. The official award ceremony will be held in New York today.

The app was awarded prizes in the categories Apps en Software and Virtual & Remote, Diversity & Inclusion.

The Bookcase for Tolerance tells the stories of Anne Frank and of four young adults who are confronted with antisemitism, racism, and discrimination in Dutch society today. Dalit is frequently confronted with antisemitism. And as a trans person, Mees is not always accepted for who he is. Kuei is black woman, who is discriminated against for the colour of her skin. And as a refugee in the Netherlands, Majd often faces prejudice. In the app, they welcome you to their world and tell you about their lives, struggles, and their views of the future.

In the app, Anne Frank’s room can be seen in augmented reality for the first time. The stories and videos are all in English to make the app accessible to people worldwide. Starting today, The Bookcase for Tolerance is available for iOS (in the App Store) and Android (in the Google Play Store).

‘The bookcase, which hides the entrance to the Secret Annex where Anne Frank spent over two years in hiding, reminds us of the damage that prejudice and discrimination can do. Many young people today are dealing with these same issues. The Bookcase for Tolerance tells their stories. We want to use the impact of their personal testimonies to challenge and counter intolerance and discrimination. We are overjoyed that the jury chose to back us and awarded The Bookcase for Tolerance with two Webbys. We thank the jury and public and Innocean Berlin and Media Monks, who developed the app, and the others involved.’
Ronald Leopold, executive director Anne Frank House