The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
The Diary of
Anne Frank
by Frances Goodrich
& Albert Hackett
Adapted by Wendy Kesselman
Know-the-Show
Audience Guide
researched and written by
the Education Department of
The Shakespeare Theatre
of New Jersey
Artwork: Scott McKowen
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
In
This Guide
– THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: An Introduction......................................................................... 2
– About this Adaptation: From the Page to the Stage..................................................................... 3
– The Life of Anne Frank............................................................................................................... 5
– THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: A Synopsis................................................................................ 7
– A Timeline of Events................................................................................................................... 9
– Who’s Who in the Play............................................................................................................ 11
– In Her Own Words.................................................................................................................. 14
– In this Production.................................................................................................................... 15
– Explore Online........................................................................................................................ 16
– Sources and Further Reading................................................................................................... 17
1
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
The Diary of
AnneAnFrank:
Introduction
“I hope I will be able to confide everything to
you, as I have never been able to confide in
anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of
comfort and support.”
-Friday, June 12, 1942
The Frank Family on their way to the Wedding of Miep Gies - July 16, 1941
On June 12, 1929, one of the most unexpectedly important
writers of the 20th century was born in Frankfurt, Germany. By
March of 1945 she was dead, one of more than six-million
victims of the terrible holocaust that scourged its way across
Europe, driven by the anti-Semitism of Germany’s Nazi party in
the early 1940s.
Pulitzer and Tony winning Broadway play in 1957 and an Academy
Award Nominated film in 1959. Since then, more than a dozen
television shows, mini-series, and films have examined the life of
Anne Frank, but none have captured her experiences as powerfully
as her own words did in her diary.
One voice out of six-million, and still her words live on,
continuing to inspire compassion and elicit hope from everyone
Anne’s diaries were rereleased in 1995 with the previously edited
passages reinstated, so for the 1997 adaptation of the play, Wendy
Kesselman was able to draw on more of Anne’s words in the
retelling of her story. With nearly 30 percent more source material
than the original play, Kesselman’s adaptation brings us all a bit
closer to the young girl in the Annex.
who comes into contact with them.
First translated into English in the early 1950’s, Anne Frank: The
Diary of a Young Girl was the first exposure many Americans had
to the atrocities committed during WWII. That novel inspired a
2
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
From the Page to the Stage
About this Adaptation
“When I write, I can shake off all my cares.”
- April 5, 1944
which would be collected after the war. Anne and her family heard
the broadcast while hiding in the Annex and a now 15-year old
Anne began the process of editing and revising her diary entries
with the dream of publishing them after the war ended. She even
came up with a list of psuedonyms for the other residents in the
Annex and the people who helped them remain hidden.
On August 2, 1944 an anonymous tip led members of the
occupying German army to raid the Frank’s secret annex, arresting
everyone inside. Originally all of the residents were sent to
Auschwitz in Poland, but as the Russian Army advanced, the Nazis
transferred many of their prisoners away from the approaching
Allied forces. In October of 1944, Anne and her sister Margot were
transferred to Bergen-Belsen in Germany and in March of 1945
Anne died of typhus; just a few short weeks before the camp was
liberated by British forces on April 15, 1945.
On June 12, 1942,
Anne Frank received a
red and white checked
“Autograph” book from
her father, Otto, for her
thirteenth birthday. Less
than a month later, on July
6, 1942 the Franks went
into hiding in the secret
annex above Mr. Frank’s
business. For the next
two years Anne would
document her experiences
in the Annex through a
series of diary entries,
primarily in the form of letters written to “Dear Kitty.”
Otto Frank, Anne’s father, was the only resident of the Annex to
survive until the war’s end. Upon his return to the Netherlands he
was given Anne’s diaries by Miep Gies (who had saved them from
the ransacked Annex). Miep had never read the diaries, and later
said that if she had read them she probably would have destroyed
them because they could have been used by the SS to implicate
many of the people who had helped the Franks in hiding. Mr.
Frank himself resisted reading them for a time, but eventually began
transcribing them from Dutch into German for family members in
Switzerland.
In the spring of 1944, via a “Radio Oranje” broadcast carried
by BBC into the occupied Netherlands, Gerrit Bolkestein (the
exiled Dutch Minister for Education, Art and Science) encouraged
his countrymen still living in the occupied Netherlands to keep
written evidence of the atrocities committed by the occupying
Nazi forces; he was specifically interested in letters and diaries
Ultimately her father decided to help fulfill his daughter’s wish of
having her diary published. The Secret Annex. Diary Letters from
June 14, 1942 to August 1, 1944 was published in Amsterdam
on June 25, 1947. Certain passages and portions of the diary
3
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
(primarily the passages dealing with Anne’s sexuality) were
omitted or edited at the publisher’s request. Mr. Frank himself
omitted passages of the diary in which Anne appeared critical of
her family or friends who were still living.
Kesselman drew from the newly restored version of Anne’s diary,
reincorporating the passages about Anne’s sexuality and her Jewish
identity that had been previously omitted and downplayed in
earlier versions. She eliminated the flashback approach of the
original by removing the opening and closing scenes featuring a
“present-day” Otto and Miep, opting instead for a straightforward,
chronological retelling of the events in the Annex. This new
adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank opened on December 4,
1997 at The Music Box Theatre on Broadway, starring Natalie
Portman (Anne), George Hearn (Otto), Linda Lavin (Mrs. Van Daan)
and Harris Yulin (Mr. Van Daan).
In addition to these theatrical versions, Anne’s diaries have been
the inspiration for dozens of television shows, mini-series, feature
films and documentaries, all of which have helped to ensure that
the words and feelings of a remarkable teenager, voiced in a time of
epic destruction, will live on to inspire future generations.
The Secret Annex was so popular it was printed six times in the
original Dutch, and in 1950 plans were made to translate it into
English. In 1952, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was
published and released in America and Great Britain, where it
became a bestseller in both countries.
After a few false starts, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
(famous at the time for writing It’s a Wonderful Life and Father
of the Bride) were contracted to adapt the diary into a stage
play. The Diary of Anne Frank premiered on Broadway at The
Cort Theatre on October 5, 1955 where it ran for more than 700
performances, earning the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well
as the 1956 Tony Award for Best Play. Some critics of the original
play believe that the “Love Story” between Peter and Anne was
pushed to the forefront, while some of Anne’s Jewish identity was
pulled back in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience.
“It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a
foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the
world being slowly transformed into a wilderness,
I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will
destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And
yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that
everything will change for the better, that this
cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility
will return once more”
In 1995 – partially to silence critics who believed the diary could
not have been written by a young girl – The Netherlands Institute
for War Documentation published a new edition of the diary
that included the passages that had been previously removed by
Mr. Frank and the original publisher, as well as some of Anne’s
original manuscripts. This version was released as The Diary of a
Young Girl: The Definitive Edition.
- July 15, 1944
During this time Wendy Kesselman was commissioned to create
an adaptation of Goodrich and Hackett’s original play.
4
of
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
The Life
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
Nazi Party won control of the German government and their antiSemitism transitioned from party platform to German law.
Anne Frank
Shortly after Hitler’s rise to power, Mr. Frank moved his family to
Aachen to stay with his in-laws while he relocated to Amsterdam,
where he planned to settle, open a business and start anew. In
1934, after starting his company, Opekta, which specialized in
the spices and pectin used in producing jams, Mr. Frank sent for
his family, and they were all reunited in Amsterdam. Throughout
most of the rest of the 1930’s the family enjoyed a fairly normal
life. Anne and Margot attended school, made friends (German and
Dutch, Jewish and Christian), and planned for their futures.
The Anne Frank Center - USA
Annelies Marie Frank was
born in Frankfurt, Germany
on June 12, 1929 to Otto
and Edith Frank. The Franks
were a typical German-Jewish
family; Mr. Frank had served
as a Lieutenant in the German
Army during WWI and Mrs.
Frank (née Hollander) was a
member of a prominent Jewish
family from the German city of
Aachen. Anne’s sister, Margot,
was three years older and had aspirations of becoming a maternity
nurse in what was then known as the “Palestine Mandate.” Prior
to 1933 the Franks enjoyed a comfortable life in a religiously
diverse, upper middle-class Frankfurt neighborhood.
On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded the nation of
Poland, inciting the beginning of what would later become known
as WWII. On May 10, 1940 they invaded the Netherlands, and
by May 15th the severely over-matched Dutch were forced to
surrender. Things were about to change for the more than 140,000
Jews who called the Netherlands home.
By October, the occupying Nazi force began to impose their
anti-Jewish laws on the occupied nation; Jews were held to a
strict curfew and forced to wear yellow Stars of David at all
times. Schools were segregated (Anne and Margot were forced
to transfer to a Jewish school), and Jews were prohibited from
owning businesses. Mr. Frank transferred the ownership of his
business, on paper at least, to two of his trusted Christian associates
– Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler – while he continued to run
the business from behind-the-scenes. It was at this time that Otto
After WWI, the severe sanctions imposed on Germany by the
1919 Treaty of Versailles caused tremendous economic turmoil
throughout the 1920’s. This struggle opened the door for a
rising tide of anti-Semitism, led by Hitler’s aggressive National
German Socialist Workers (Nazi) Party, and made life in Germany
increasingly uncomfortable for many Jews. In 1933, Hitler’s
5
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
began preparing the secret annex above his offices, just in case it
became necessary for the family to go into hiding.
private, meant solely for her – into something intended to tell their
story to others. She had hoped to see it published after the war.
On June 12, 1942, Anne received a red checked autograph book
as a 13th birthday present and she decided to use it as a diary.
Just a few short weeks later, on July 5, 1942, Anne’s sister Margot
received official papers requiring her to report to a work camp in
Germany. It was this incident that prompted the Franks to finally
move into hiding on July 6th. Initially, there were seven of them
hidden in the Annex; the four Franks and three members of the
van Pels family (who Anne renames “van Daan” in her diaries)
– Hermann van Pels, his wife Auguste and their son Peter. On
November 16, 1942, Mr. Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist, joins the seven
already in hiding. Anne refers to him as “Mr. Dussel” in her
diaries, which roughly translates to “idiot.” She and Mr. Dussel
were made to share a room together during their time in the
Annex, as it would have been considered improper for Mr. Dussel
to share a room with the older Margot.
On August 4, 1944, in response to an anonymous tip, German
SS officer Karl Josef Silberbauer and four Dutch Nazis stormed
the secret Annex and arrested everyone hiding there. Anne and
the others were processed through Westerbork, a concentration
camp in the Netherlands and ultimately sent on to Auschwitz by
early September. Once at Auschwitz the men and women were
separated, and Anne never saw her father again. After several
months at Auschwitz, Anne and Margot were transferred to BergenBelsen, a camp in Germany. The conditions in Bergen-Belsen were
even worse than Auschwitz; poor sanitation and virtually no food
led to widespread epidemics of disease. Both Anne and her sister
came down with typhus during this time. Anne finally succumbed
to the disease sometime in February or March of 1945–weeks
before the camp at Bergen-Belsen was liberated by British forces.
Anne was 15 years old when she died.
For more than two years, no one from the Annex set foot outside.
They were required to remain absolutely still and silent during
the work hours of the business below so as not to alert anyone to
their presence. They did have a radio, to which they would listen
after the workers below had finished for the day, and it was on
this radio that the family heard the broadcast of Gerrit Bolkestein,
the exiled Dutch Minister for Education, Art and Science, who
encouraged all residents of occupied Netherlands to keep written
records of their experiences at the hands of their occupiers. He
was especially interested in letters and diaries. Anne began the
process of revising her diary; transforming it from something
Her diaries and papers were rescued by Miep Gies shortly after the
raid in August, and Miep kept the papers safe, hoping to one day
return them to Anne. Originally transcribed from Dutch to German
by Otto Frank (so he could share her thoughts with family in
Switzerland), Anne’s diary was eventually published in Amsterdam
in 1947, and translated into English for release in the US and
England in 1952. To date, Anne’s diary has been translated into 70
languages, with more than 30-million copies sold world-wide.
6
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
The Diary of
Anne Frank:
A Synopsis
They don’t know how long they’ll be in hiding, and other than Miep Gies
(Mr. Frank’s secretary) and Mr. Kraler (one of Mr. Frank’s managers) they
will have no contact with the outside world until it is safe to come out.
The business is still operational, so they must remain absolutely quiet and
almost totally still during the workday, only being allowed to speak once
the last worker has gone home for the evening. The rules are strong and
simple. From 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. they are not allowed to speak or to
flush the toilet, only moving when absolutely necessary. No trash may be
thrown out, and no one can get sick, it would be impossible for them to
call a doctor.
Please note: Below is a full summary of the play. If you prefer not
to know the full plot, consider skipping this section. When Act One
begins, it is the 6th of July, 1942 and the Nazi Occupation of the
Netherlands has finally forced the Frank Family (Otto, Edith, Anne and
Margot) into hiding. Since the occupation began in 1940, the Nazis
had been limiting the rights of Jews living in the Netherlands. Unable to
escape the country, Mr. Frank decided to hide his family in a specially
prepared “annex” above his offices in Amsterdam.
Shortly after their arrival, Anne and her father, seemingly undeterred
by their predicament, set about to making the Annex feel more like a
home. “An adventure” she calls it. Mrs. Frank and Margot are a bit more
trepidatious about their new surroundings. The stakes are high and Mrs.
Frank fears for her family.
A short while later, Miep and Kraler arrive with the Van Daans in tow.
With the Van Daans (Hermann, Petronella, and their 16-year old son
Peter) there will now be seven people hiding out in the Annex. Much to
Anne’s delight, Peter has also brought his cat, Mouschi, with them.
ANNE’S DIARY
Anne actually had more than one. Her original diary,
the red checked one she received for her birthday was
full by December of 1942, so during the rest of her
time in hiding she used regular school exercise books.
It is believed that she had three in total, unfortunately
only the original copies of the first and third diary
were found. Most of the information from the middle
diary comes from her own rewritten manuscripts.
Over the next few months, the families adjust to living in their new, close
quarters. Anne’s attempts to befriend Peter are mostly met with shy,
awkwardness that occasionally leads to bickering. The news from the
outside world is not good, and each time Anne begins to lament being
cooped up all the time, she immediately reminds herself of the plight of
the thousands upon thousands of other Jews who aren’t able to hide the
way she and her family can.
In November, the Annex gets a new resident. Mr. Dussel, a dentist, is
brought into the fold by Mr. Kraler. He brings with him news of how
things have been since they went into hiding, with thousands being
rounded-up and shipped off to work and concentration camps. Despite
7
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
the prospect of a more cramped living quarters, the Franks and the
Van Daans welcome Mr. Dussel into the Annex; and Anne gets a new
roommate, as it is decided that Anne will share her room with Mr.
Dussel.
has grown moreused to their daily routine. Anne, now nearly fifteen, is
surprisingly starting to develop feelings for Peter and their relationship
begins to change. Mr. Kraler arrives with some terrible news. One of Mr.
Frank’s employees has begun asking questions about the Frank family,
and seems to remember there being a door in Mr. Kraler’s office, where
there is now a bookcase. This same man then asks for a raise. Mr. Frank
advises Mr. Kraler to offer him half of what he’s asking in an attempt to
discern if the man is threatening blackmail.
Anne begins having nightmares. Her cries and screams bring everyone
in the Annex running to her room, and they fear that these nightmares
will lead to their ultimate discovery. From the nightly radio broadcasts,
they know things outside have gotten worse, and that the stakes are
higher than ever.
More time passes, and the diminished food rationing outside is now
starting to affect the families inside more and more each day; Margot is
frail and sickly, the Van Daans fight often and tensions are running high.
One evening after everyone has gone to bed, Mrs. Frank catches Mr. Van
Daan stealing a piece of bread from the kitchen, and she demands that
the Van Daans be thrown out of the Annex. Mr. Dussel suggests dividing
up the food so each can keep his or her share locked up. While Mr. Frank
struggles to keep the peace, Miep arrives with tremendous news. It’s June
6, 1944, the Americans have entered the war and landed at Normandy.
The counter-invasion has begun and everyone is hopeful that this will
spell the end of the war, and an end to their life in hiding.
As Hanukkah approaches, the residents of the Annex prepare for a
modest celebration. Mr. Van Daan has carved a menorah, and Anne
surprises each member of the group with a homemade present. Mr.
Frank also surprises his wife with a very special gift; an heirloom music
box that she had left behind when they went into hiding. Everyone
gives over to the celebration, the danger they are in is overshadowed,
just a bit, by a genuine sense of joy, until a loud crash from the
business below, well after work hours, puts an immediate stop to their
celebration. The unknown intruder is heard near the bookcase that hides
the entrance to their Annex, and the group waits in silence, terrified that
they are about to be discovered. In an attempt to put out a lamp, Peter
knocks over a chair and the intruder can be heard running down the
stairs.
Eventually, as the warm weather arrives, things start to get a bit easier.
Food is more plentiful and the arrival of the American Armed Forces
on European shores has lightened everyone’s mood. Unfortunately,
unbeknownst to them, they have all been betrayed by an anonymous
source, and on August 4, 1944, three Nazi soldiers abruptly break into
the Annex, arresting everyone inside.
The noise fades, and Mr. Frank sneaks out of the Annex to investigate
and returns with the news that it was a burglar below, and not the
Gestapo as they had feared. He tries in vain to rekindle the magic
of their earlier Hanukkah celebration, but the fear of discovery has
dampened everyone’s spirits.
Act Two begins on New Year’s Day, 1944. By this point, they have
been in the attic for nearly two years; far longer than any of them had
anticipated. The war outside rages on, and everyone in the Annex
8
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
The Diary of
Anne
Frank:
A Timeline of Events
KRISTALLNACHT
“The Night of Broken Glass”
June 12, 1929 – Anne Frank is born in Frankfurt, Germany.
September 1933 – Otto Frank leaves for Amsterdam.
February 1934 – Anne, Margot, and their mother
move to Amsterdam to join their father, Otto.
1929
1933
1934
1938
1939
Kristallnacht was a series of coordinated,
deadly attacks carried out by the Nazis against
the Jews living in Germany and Austria on
the evenings of November 9 and 10, 1938.
Hundreds were killed and more than 30,000
were moved into concentration camps. Jewish
owned shops, homes, schools and synagogues
were ransacked, looted and destroyed.
“Kristallnacht” is a German word that consists
of two parts: “Kristall” translates to “crystal”
and refers to the look of broken glass and
“Nacht” means “night.” The accepted English
translation is the “Night of Broken Glass.”
1940
1941
May 10, 1940 – Germany invades the Netherlands.
September 1, 1939 – Nazis invade Poland.
September 3, 1939 – France and Britain declare war on Germany.
November 9 & 10, 1938 – “Kristallnacht”.
January 30, 1933 – The Nazis gain control of Germany
9
February 1941 – The first mass
arrests of Jews, communists and
intellectuals begin in Amsterdam.
December 11, 1941 – The U.S. officially declares
war on Germany.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
June 12, 1942 – Anne receives an autograph book as a present on her 13th birthday and decides to use it as a diary.
July 5, 1942 – Margot is ordered to report to a work camp.
July 6, 1942 – The Franks go into hiding with the van Pels (Van Daans)
November 16, 1942 – Fritz Pfeffer (Mr. Dussel) goes into hiding at the Annex.
August 4, 1944 – The secret Annex is raided by German police and all
of the residents are arrested.
September 3, 1944 – All eight of the residents are sent to Auschwitz.
September 6, 1944 – Hermann van Pels (Mr. Van Daan) is murdered
in the gas chambers at Auschwitz.
Fall 1944 – Anne and Margot are transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.
December 1944 – Fritz Pfeffer (Mr. Dussel) dies at Neuengamme.
January 1945 – Edith Frank dies at Auschwitz.
February 1945 – Margot Frank dies of typhus at Bergen-Belsen.
March 1945 – Anne Frank dies of typhus at Bergen-Belsen.
April 1945 – Auguste van Pels (Mrs. Van Daan) dies at
Theresienstadt.
April/May 1945 – Peter van Pels dies at Mauthausen.
1942
1 9 4 3 1 9 4 4 February 1943 – By this time
more than 4.8 million Jews have
been murdered by the Nazis.
March 1942 – By this time more
than 1.2 million Jews have been
murdered by the Nazis.
1 9 4 5 1 9 4 6 1947
January 27, 1945 – The Soviet Army liberates Auschwitz.
April 15, 1945 – Bergen-Belsen is liberated by British troops.
May 7, 1945 – Germany officially surrenders and WWII ends in Europe.
June 6, 1944 – “D-Day” The U.S. and
it’s allies invade France, intending to
liberate all countries under Nazi
occupation.
10
June 25, 1947 - The Secret Annex.
Diary Letters from June 14, 1942
to August 1, 1944 is published in
Amsterdam.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
Who’s
Who
in the Play
Otto Frank (May 12, 1889 – Aug. 19, 1980)
Seeing the dangerous turn that
Germany was taking, Mr. Frank left
Germany for Amsterdam in 1933
where he opened a company called
“Opekta” which specialized in spices
and pectin, an ingredient necessary
in the making of jams. Once the
business was off the ground, he sent
for his wife and two children to join him in Amsterdam. As
the Nazi influence moved closer, Mr. Frank converted a
portion of his company’s building into a secret annex. With the
help of four of Mr. Frank’s employees, the eight residents of the
annex were kept safe for more than two years. After the raid
on the annex in August of 1944, Mr. Frank was shipped off to
Auschwitz with the rest of his family. He remained there until
the camp was liberated in 1945 and was the only member
of either family to survive the Holocaust. After the war he
returned to Amsterdam where he was given Anne’s diaries and
essays by Miep Gies.
Once Anne began thinking about the possibility of her
diaries being published after the war ended, she came up
with a list of pseudonyms for the people with whom she
shared the Annex, as well as the people who helped keep
them safe. Mr. Frank maintained many of these names when
first publishing the manuscript and they have remained in
use to this day.
Anne Frank (June 12, 1939 – March 1945)
Anne was the youngest of the Frank
daughters and spent most of her
life in Amsterdam, having been
relocated from Germany before the
age of five. On June 12, 1942, her
father gave her an autograph book
as a thirteenth birthday present
which later became the starting
point for her Diary. During their time hiding in the Secret
Annex, Anne documented their experiences and her feelings
through more than two years of diary entries, most in the
form of letters sent to made up friend named “Kitty.” She
also accompanied her family to Auschwitz after the raid on
the Annex, and was transferred to Bergen-Belsen with Margo
in the fall of 1944. She died of typhus in March of 1945; just
a short time before that camp was liberated by Allied troops.
Edith Frank (Jan. 16, 1900 – Jan. 6, 1945)
Originally from Aachen, Germany, she
married Otto in 1924 and gave birth
to two daughters; Margot (in 1926)
and Anne (in 1929). The family lived
in Frankfurt until 1933 when Edith and
the girls moved back to Aachen while
Otto attempted to set up a home for them in Amsterdam. In
1934 the family reunited in Amsterdam once Otto’s company
was up on its feet. She was sent to Auschwitz with the rest of
her family and died there in 1945.
11
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
Margot Frank (Feb. 16, 1926 - Feb. 1945)
Margot was the eldest of the Frank
daughters (three years Anne’s senior)
and it was her notification to report
to an SS Work Camp in July of 1942
that finally forced the Franks into
hiding. Otto later said that she
hoped to study medicine when the war was over. Like her
sister, she too kept a diary, but hers was never recovered.
She accompanied her family to Auschwitz after the raid on
the Annex, and she and Anne were transferred to BergenBelsen in the fall of 1944. She died of typhus in February of
1945, one month before her sister succumbed to the same
disease.
cook of the house and was described by Miep as “stylish and
coquettish.” She was deported to Auschwitz after the raid,
then to Bergen-Belsen in November 1944, then to Raguhn
(Buchenwald) in February of 1945 and finally to Theresienstadt
in Czechoslovakia where she died two months later.
Peter van Pels - Peter van Daan
(November 8, 1926 - April/May 1945)
The only son of Hermann and Auguste
van Pels, he emigrated with his
family in 1937 as they attempted to
escape the Nazis and the rising tide
of antisemitism that swept across
Germany. In February of 1944 he
shared his idea to “go to the Dutch
East Indies and live on a rubber plantation” with Anne. Peter
was taken to Auschwitz with the others and in January of
1945 was forced to join the so-called “death-march” where
everyone who was healthy enough was forced to walk from
Auschwitz to the camps further away from the advancing
Allied forces. Peter arrived at Mauthausen (Austria) later that
month and died there sometime between mid-April and the
camp’s liberation on May 5, 1945.
Hermann van Pels - Mr. Van Daan
(March 31, 1898 - September 6, 1944)
Originally from Osnabrück,
Germany, Mr. van Pels and his
family emigrated to Amsterdam
in 1937 to escape the impending
rise of the Nazi party. In 1938 he
became a partner in Otto Frank’s business. On July of 1938
he and his family join the Franks in the Annex. He was sent
to Auschwitz after the raid and died in the gas chambers on
September 6, 1944.
MOUSCHI
Peter’s cat, Mouschi, moved into the Annex with Peter
and his family. Following the raid, Miep took care of
him and kept him as an “office cat” for a short time.
He finally found a permanent home with the office
cleaning lady.
Auguste van Pels - Mrs. Van Daan
(September 29, 1900 - April, 1945)
Also from just outside of Osnabrück,
Germany, Mrs. Van Pels married
Hermann in December of 1925 and
gave birth to their only son, Peter,
in November of 1926. She was the
12
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
Fritz Pfeffer - Mr. Dussel
forces with the Nazis, he officially became a Dutch citizen.
In December of 1941 Jews in the Netherlands are forbidden
to own businesses, so Otto Frank transfered the business into
Kugler’s name. He helped the family go into hiding in July of
1942, and continued to help until his arrest (along with the
eight people in hiding) on August 4, 1944. In September of
1944 he was taken to the Amersfoort concentration camp in
the Netherlands but managed to escape during a forced march
in March of 1945. He remained in hiding until the end of the
war. In 1955 he immigrated to Canada and began speaking
to students about Anne Frank. On December 14, 1981 Mr.
Kugler passed away in Toronto, Canada.
(April 30, 1889 - December, 1944)
Born in Giessen, Germany the
son of clothing store owners, Mr.
Pfeffer travelled to Berlin after
High School where he studied to
be a dentist and later opened a
practice. He married a woman
named Vera Bythiner and she gave
birth to a son, Werner, in June of 1927. Pfeffer’s marriage
ended in divorce in 1933 and he received custody of his
son. In 1935 he met Charlotte Kaletta and fell in love. The
Nurenberger Laws of 1935 outlawing marriages between
Jews and non-Jews made it impossible for them to marry.
After Kristallnacht (Nov 1938), Fritz sent his son Werner
to England on the “Kindertransport” and he and Charlotte
escaped to the Netherlands where he became the dentist for
Miep Gies. Still unable to marry Charlotte, Fritz was forced
into hiding as the eighth resident in the Annex on November
16, 1942. After being sent to Auschwitz with the others he
was deported to the Neuengamme Camp (Germany) where
he died in December of 1944.
Hermine “Miep” Gies
(February 15, 1909 - January 11, 2010)
Miep was born in Vienna, Austria
and was sent to the Netherlands by
her parents at the end of WWI to
recuperate from tuberculosis. She
ended up staying with her foster
family in the Netherlands and moved with them to Amsterdam
in 1924. In 1933 she began working for Mr. Frank as a
secretary at Opekta. In 1941 she married Jan Gies, and in
June of 1942, Mr. Frank asked for her help in hiding him and
his family. Miep was not present when the people hiding
were arrested. She found Anne’s diary and papers after the
raid, and kept them safe for Mr. Frank until his return to
Amsterdam after the war. In 1987 Miep wrote a book called
Memories of Anne Frank. In February of 2009 she celebrated
her 100th birthday. She passed away on January 11, 2010.
Victor Kugler - Mr. Kraler
(June 6, 1900 - December 14, 1981)
Born in Austria, Mr. Kugler went to
school in Germany and served in the
Austrian Navy in WWI. In 1920 he
emigrated to the Netherlands where
he ended up working at a company
in Utrech which sold pectin. In 1928 he married a Dutch
woman and applied for Dutch citizenship and in 1933 he
began working for Mr. Frank. In 1938, when Austria joined
13
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
The Diary of
Anne
Frank:
In her own words
ABOUT THE CAMPS
“Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in
droves. The Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them
in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they’re
sending all the Jews....If it’s that bad in Holland, what must it be like in
those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending
them? We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English
radio says they’re being gassed.”
- October 9, 1942
ABOUT HER DIARY
“Mr. Bolkestein, the Cabinet Minister, speaking on the Dutch broadcast
from London, said that after the war a collection would be made of
diaries and letters dealing with the war. Of course, everyone pounced
on my diary.”
- March 29, 1944
ABOUT HER DESPAIR
“I’ve reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die. The
world will keep on turning without me, and I can’t do anything to change
events anyway. I’ll just let matters take their course and concentrate on
studying and hope that everything will be all right in the end.”
- February 3, 1944
ABOUT GERMANY
“Fine specimens of humanity, those Germans, and to think I’m actually
one of them! No, that’s not true, Hitler took away our nationality long
ago. And besides, there are no greater enemies on earth than the
Germans and Jews.”
ABOUT NATURE
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go
outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens,
nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should
be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of
nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then
there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances
may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
- February 23, 1944
- October 9, 1942
ABOUT NAZI PUNISHMENT FOR RESISTERS
“Have you ever heard the term ‘hostages’? That’s the latest punishment
for saboteurs. It’s the most horrible thing you can imagine. Leading
citizens – innocent people – are taken prisoner to await their execution.
If the Gestapo can’t find the saboteur, they simply grab five hostages
and line them up against the wall. You read the announcements of their
death in the paper, where they’re referred to as ‘fatal accidents’.”
- October 9, 1942
14
In
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
This Production
Anne Frank
Above: Set model by Brittany Vasta.
Others (from left): Costume design sketches for Anne, Peter
and Mr. Dussel by Candida Nichols
15
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
Explore Online
Founded by Otto Frank in 1959, The Anne Frank Center, USA
“uses the diary and spirit of Anne Frank as unique tools to
advance her legacy, to educate young people and communities
through North America...”
www.annefrank.com
The Anne Frank House and Museum in Amsterdam is visited by
thousands of people every day, and their official website offers
countless resources for students and teachers.
www.annefrank.org
One Clip at a Time is a “for purpose” organization based in
Chattanooga Tennessee that grew from the “Paper Clip Project”
originally designed to raise awareness and help students learn
the “history of the tragedy of the Holocaust.”
www.oneclipatatime.org
16
&
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Know-the-Show Guide
Sources
Further Reading
PRINTED MATERIALS
ONLINE RESOURCES
ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED: THE STORY OF THE WOMAN
WHO HELPED TO HIDE THE FRANK FAMILY by Miep Gies
ANNEFRANK.COM, website for the Anne Frank Center, USA
ANNEFRANK.ORG, website for the Anne Frank House and
Museum in Amsterdam
ANNE FRANK: THE BOOK, THE LIFE, THE AFTERLIFE, by
Francine Prose
ANNEFRANK.CH, website for the Anne Frank Foundation,
founded in 1963 by Otto Frank
CHILDREN IN THE HOLOCAUST AND WORLD WAR II: THEIR
SECRET DIARIES by Laurel Holiday- 1989
ANNEFRANKTREE.COM, an on-line memorial for student artwork
inspired by Anne and her diaries.
THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL: THE DEFINITIVE EDITION by
Anne Frank, edited by Otto H. Frank and Mirjam Pressler 1996
FACINGHISTORY.ORG, a website dedicated to providing teachers
with Holocaust, Civil Rights, genocide and human rights based
curricula.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK dramatized by Frances Goodrich
and Albert Hackett - 1955
TEACHINGTOLERANCE.ORG, a website dedicated to providing
resources for students and teachers to help combat intolerance,
anti-Semitism and bias
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK dramatized by Frances Goodrich
and Albert Hackett, adapted by Wendy Kesselman - 1997
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: TEACHERS GUIDE, Masterpiece
Classic - PBS - 2010
USHMM.ORG, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
YOUTUBE.COM/ANNEFRANK, an on-line video resource for
students and teachers
17