Go in-depth
Background Stories about Anne Frank and the Second World War
The arrest of the people in hiding
On August 4, 1944, the people in hiding were arrested. What do we know about this day, when what had been feared finally happened?
Was Anne Frank betrayed?
How were the people in hiding discovered? Were they betrayed? What we know, what remains unproven, and what is incorrect.
What is the Holocaust?
The Nazis murdered nearly six million Jews. Read about its causes and backgrounds, the stages and the perpetrators.
The authenticity of the diary
The claim that the diary is a forgery is demonstrably false. Read the key facts here.
Why did Hitler hate the Jews?
Anti-Semitism played a major role in Adolf Hitler’s thinking and in Nazi ideology. Read how Hitler’s hatred of Jews developed.
Interview with Miep Gies
The most frequently asked questions posed to Miep Gies about her help to those in hiding in the Annex, from a 1992 interview.
"God knows everything, but Anne knows it better"
Hannah Goslar, one of Anne Frank's best friends, survived the war and tells her story.
Jacqueline Sanders-van Maarsen
Jacqueline and Anne Frank met during WWII and spend one year together at the Jewish Lyceum. A friendship in difficult times.
A typical day in the Annex
Anne Frank spent 761 days in the Annex. What typical weekdays and Sundays in the Annex would have been like.
The two versions of Anne’s diary
Anne rewrote part of her diary. After the war, she wants to publish a book about her time in the Annex. What are the differences?
First edition of 'Het Achterhuis'
The first edition was published in 1947. The most frequently asked questions about the first editions of 'Het Achterhuis' (Anne's diary).
Anne Frank, from Diarist to Icon
How did Anne become an international icon? How Anne's diary inspires millions of readers.
Germany 1933: from democracy to dictatorship
How did the Nazi party come to power and how did Hitler eliminate his opponents?
The (Im)possibilities of escape for Jews, 1933–1942
When Hitler came to power, many Jews wanted to flee Germany for fear of persecution. This was often very difficult.
The German invasion of the Netherlands
On May 10, 1940, the German army invaded the Netherlands, the beginning of five days of fighting that ended with the occupation.
Holocaust diaries by Anne Frank and other young writers
Anne Frank wasn't the only one who kept a diary. Many other young Jewish people also wrote about their lives in those difficult times.
The second raid in Amsterdam
On June 11, 1941, the second major raid took place in Amsterdam. The Nazis arrested approximately 300 young Jewish men.
In hiding in the Netherlands. How unique was the Annex?
How similar was Anne Frank's situation to that of other people in hiding? Where were they, and what dangers did they face?
The highest number of Jewish victims in Western Europe
Three-quarters of Dutch Jews were murdered during World War II. Read here to find out why these numbers are so high.
The history of the Annex
The Frank family's hiding place is perhaps the most famous building in Amsterdam, the story of the Annex.