Anne Frank's Diary: Difficult Fate of The 13th Girl

The Beginning of Anne Frank's Diary

It was composed by then-teen Anne Frank from 1942 to August 1, 1944. This could be a diary written by any 13-year-old girl in the present day, with all the concerns and anxieties of a young girl. However, Anne was living in one of the most challenging contexts in human history, World War II (Frank, 1947).

Anne Frank's Diary: Difficult Fate of The 13th Girl

She was only 13 years old when her life underwent a radical transformation. Suddenly, Anne was living with her family and other fellow Jews, hidden in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, when this country was invaded by the German Nazis. In simple and easy-to-understand words, the girl recounts the routine of this small community during the time its members remained refugees in the annex of the office where her father worked. This is where the group learned what fate awaited them if they were captured by the forces of Germany.

In this hidden annex are sheltered Anne's family—her parents and her sister—and the family of Lord Van Daan: himself, his wife, and their son Peter, who becomes Anne's closest friend and with whom she shares a special bond. Anne captures the experience of these people under the constant threat of death and provides her personal insight into this terrible war confrontation (Frank, 1947).

The Purpose of the Diary

Anne had the idea of writing a diary that could actually be published after listening to a radio broadcast that encouraged people to document war-related events, as this material would, in the future, have significant historical value. She inscribed in her writings everything that transpired in the daily life of the fugitives, including her strong fondness for her father, whom she considered loving and noble, unlike her mother, with whom she often clashed.

The Discovery and Aftermath

After difficult times, Gestapo officials discovered the hideout on August 4, 1944, arrested the refugees, and took them to various concentration camps. On that same day, her father, Otto Heinrich Frank, received the diary of his daughter and, as it was the only remnant of the period spent in hiding, fought for the publication of her texts, finally realizing Anne's dream. With the help of writer Mirjam Pressler, he achieved his goal and launched the diary in 1947 (Pressler, 1992).

The Diary's Publication and Legacy

In the first version, many passages were censored by her own father, who was aware of how controversial it would be at this time to disclose the conflicts between mother and daughter, as well as to reveal aspects of Anne's emerging sexuality. In a later edition, the diary was published in full (Frank & Pressler, 1992).

Anne died in the concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen at the end of February 1945. The original journal is preserved at the Dutch Institute for War Documentation. The copyright to Anne's work is reserved to the Anne Frank Fund, located in Switzerland, since Otto Frank died in 1980 (Anne Frank Fonds, 2021).