In the dark, silence was maintained. Being loud was dangerous and opening the blinds to see the outside world was forbidden. Anne Frank was shut out from the world, in order to be kept hidden and protected. Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl born on June 12, 1929. After World War one, a notorious fascist leader named Adolf Hitler took over her country. He enacted laws named the Nuremberg Laws that controlled the Jew’s freedom. With time, the restrictions became more intense leading to the creation of concentration camps, where Jews were sent to work as slaves. This caused her family to go into hiding in a secret annex. Being kept in complete seclusion from the world was tremendously complex. She wrote in a diary about her daily experiences as a teenager living under such difficult conditions during the holocaust. Her family was eventually captured and separated. Anne and everyone who had in the annex with her, were either killed or died from inhumane living conditions. The only person who lived on was Otto Frank, Annes dad. He prioritized to inform everyone of who she was so that her life story could continue in perpetuity and have meaning. Ultimately, Anne Frank was a well known Jewish diarist for writing her experiences while hiding in an annex during the Holocaust, who was forced into hiding as a result of Hitler's Nuremberg Laws, she was subject to anti semitism, and was eventually separated from her family because of the concentration camps. Her impact on modern society is still recognized and relevant today due to her inspiring tenacity.
To begin with, as World War One was coming to an end, Germany was required to sign The Treaty of Versailles. The treaty included many things that Germany had to agree to such as Germany taking full acceptance of initiating the war, which caused embarrassment and humiliation. They were required to give up territory, and repay its adversaries for the damages caused by the war. This is unquestioned as stated “By accepting blame for starting the war, Germany became liable for all material damages caused by the war-which totaled billions of dollars in reparation payments” (Peggy Early Childhood 1). As time went on, Germany was in a sensitive economic situation. This is noted when stated “Germany had to pay reparations of £6.6 billion this ensured that the economy would not recover” (Higher History Achieved Power 1). They were in desperate need of new leadership. The country's instability established the perfect opportunity for a relatively unknown radical politician to step in and fill the void. Adolf Hitler ran in the election of 1932 and rose to power by assuring the people of Germany that he could dismantle the dreaded Treaty of Versailles.
Furthermore, Hitler advocated racial purity, leading to create The Nuremberg Laws. The Nuremberg Laws purpose was to exclude Jews of citizenship. They were denied political rights, and freedom. Moreover, Jews were were not allowed to determine their own religious belief based on their own free will because “Anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents was defined as a Jew, regardless of whether that individual identified himself or herself as a Jew or belonged to the Jewish religious community” (Encyclopedia Nuremberg Race Laws 1). They felt restricted and controlled living their own life. In Hitler’s plan to impoverish the Jews he made them aryanize any property they owned. As a result in aryanizing their property, all Jews in work with that property were fired and replaced with non-Jews. They took advantage of the situation to lead Jews into financial ruin. This is implied when stated “The government set out to impoverish Jews by requiring them to register their property and then by ‘Aryanizing’ Jewish businesses. This meant that Jewish workers and managers were dismissed, and the ownership of most Jewish businesses was taken over by non-Jewish Germans who bought them at bargain prices fixed by Nazis” (Encyclopedia Nuremberg Race Laws 1). To sum up, Hitler created The Nuremberg Laws restricting Jews from their rights and political freedoms, while also stripping them of all their possessions for the benefit of the 'racially pure' Germanic race.
Correspondingly, Jewish people even were hampered from having relationships with whomever they pleased as affirmed when stated “Prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of 'German or related blood“ (Encyclopedia Nuremberg Race Laws 1). He began to blame Jews for Germany's financial ruin and wanted to single them out. This can be inferred when stated “Hitler used anti-Semitism as a political weapon to gain popular support, blaming Jews for all of Germany's problems.… That Hitler's accusations were blatantly contradictory and his facts often fabricated made little difference” (Peggy Childhood 1). When Hitler’s laws began to come off as more intense and openly supported the idea excecution of Jews, the Frank family moved to Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands. To summarize, Germany was left in financial ruin as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. In their desperation, a new leader was voted into power. Adolf Hitler created laws specifically attacking the Jews, leading the Frank family to move in response to the horror of the idea of assasinating Jews.
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In July of 1933, Anne's family headed to Amsterdam. They went to go hide in an annex above Otto Frank's office. Before moving, they told everyone that they were moving to Switzerland so that no speculations would arise of them hiding elsewhere. This is self evident as stated “I lived in Frankfurt until I was four years old because we’re Jews my father moved us to the Netherlands in 1933” (Frank House Characters 1). Within a week of hiding, a second family came to join them. The Van Pels Family. When Anne first met Peter Van Pels she was not very fond of him. As time passed, they hung out more frequently as they were close in age. Eventually, Anne and Peter fell in love. Around two months in hiding, an individual name Fritz Pfeffer joined them as well. The families were constantly arguing and struggled to get along. They managed to survive in hiding having some of their friends and assistants bring them necessities on a daily basis. On Anne’s thirteenth birthday, she received a journal full of blank pages. She turned it into a diary and named it Kitty. In the diary she would write about her daily experiences as a teenager. Anne was patiently waiting for the whole thing to end and stayed as optimistic as she could. This can be inferred when stated “There is nothing we can do except await the end of this misery as quietly as possible, the Jews are waiting, the Christians are waiting, the whole world is waiting” (Amazon My Daughter Anne Frank). All in all the Frank family moved to Amsterdam as Hitler began talking about the extermination of all Jews. The Franks and others hid in an annex above Otto Frank's office and with time fell in love with Peter Van Pels. Lastly, for Anne's thirteenth birthday she received a simple diary and wrote about everything she would experience, which would later go on to inspire millions for generations.
On August fourth, nineteen forty four, an unidentified source led Hitler's secret police, the Gestapo, to the annex. Everyone hiding in the annex was captured and sent to a holding camp named Westerbook in the Northern Netherlands. Around one month later, the Frank family was separated into different concentration camps. Margot and Anne were sent to Bergen Belsen and eventually died due to a disease called Typhus due to the horrendous living conditions. Anne's mother and father, Edith and Otto Frank were sent to Auschwitz, a different concentration camp. In time everyone hiding in the annex died except Otto Frank. In 1945, The Russian Soviet Union liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp, and Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam. Miep Gies, one of the non-Jewish helpers who risked their lives to hide the Frank family, handed Otto Anne's diary and a few sheets of other papers that she had gathered soon after the Frank family was captured from the annex. This is presumed when stated, “Gies had recovered the materials from the secret annex shortly after the Frank’s arrest by the Nazis and had hidden them in her desk” (History Anne Frank 1). Otto knew he wanted to share Annes story with the world so that it could live on forever in her honor. Once the war ended, Otto rewrote the diary and managed to get it published. It became very well known and popular throughout the world, as stated, “The book, which went on to sell tens of millions of copies worldwide, has been labelled a testament to the indestructible nature of the human spirit. It is required reading at schools around the globe and has been adapted for the stage and screen” (History Anne Frank 1). All in all, once Anne’s family was captured in the annex they were all seperated. As time passed, everyone who had hid in the annex had died except Otto Frank. He rewrote and edited Anne’s diary and got it published. The diary became well known and valued globally.
Although Anne's story impacted people of all ages, it especially resonates with teenagers because of Anne's adolescence and inspiration. As Anne's diary gained popularity, the world began to use it as a symbol, as stated, “With time, Anne and her diary became universalized. The diary, which in all its translations and editions was at first perceived as simply the story of a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust, gradually became a symbol of suffering humanity, which despite its burden still believed in human values and the basic goodness of human beings. This symbol gradually became ever more remote from the Holocaust, the camps and the Jewish people. Anne herself became a symbol for youth in general” (Jewish Women's Archive Anne Frank 1). This proves how amazing her story was and how people used it postively. On a website named “Teen Speak,” there is a series in which teenagers discuss their role model and write a paragraph about him or her. One girl wrote about Anne, due to her historical impact, bravery, hopefulness, and faith in humanity. This is noted when mentioned “When I first read her diary it made me think about things differently. I realized that no matter how scared I am, showing that I’m brave in a difficult situation helps” (My Role Model Teens Speak 1). This exemplifies the immense impact Anne’s story left on a vast majority of teenagers. She also includes one of Anne's known quotes, “Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” (Anne Frank). She uses this quote to demonstrate the main reason why Anne is her role model, because no matter how bad Anne’s life got, she always stayed optimistic and never gave up hope. In summary, Anne Frank’s diary had a huge impact on society. Her story and experience motivated individuals globally to never give up hope. No matter how bad things get, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
In final analysis, Anne frank’s unbelievable story influenced so much of young society. Through all the hardships she versed, she never gave up hope that things would end up being okay. Her optimism was enlightening to several, and her story will forever continue to live on. For instance, as a result of her family being subjected to antisemitism and having to follow strict rules such as The Nuremberg Laws, her family had to go into hiding in a crammed annex. She had written everything she underwent and her story led to inspiring tons of people worldwide, especially within adolescents. Anne's story proves the amount of power a single story holds. Anne's story made a big difference in the world with being more open to following through to the idea of optimism and hope. The Nuremberg laws and fascist dictatorship led Anne Frank’s family having to stay in seclusion. The annex was completely crammed and overwhelming. Anne’s life was held in a diary full of her life stories and intricate details. Eventually, an anonymous tip led the Gestapo to her family and they were all separated into different concentration camps. Everyone who had hid in the annex had died except Otto Frank. Otto was determined to publish Anne’s diary and share her story throughout the world. Due to accomplishing this, Anne’s story touched a great variety of people throughout the world especially in adolescence eyes. Anne’s story is still relevant today due to her impact globally. Her inspiring optimism and morale throughout her short life is highly motivating. She is known by millions today, and hopefully will never be forgotten. In final analysis, Anne Frank's writing became world-renowned. Her impact on society is timeless and still recognized and relevant today due to her inspiring tenacity.
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