Essay About Anne Frank in English
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who wrote one of the most important books about World War II.
Her diary shows us what life was like for Jewish people hiding from the Nazis, told through the eyes of a teenager.
Though she died very young, her words have helped millions of people understand the horrors of the Holocaust.
Early Life
Anne was born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. Her parents were Otto and Edith Frank, and she had an older sister named Margot. The Franks were a middle-class Jewish family who lived a happy life until Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933.
The Nazis hated Jewish people and made life very hard for them. Anne’s parents saw how dangerous Germany was becoming for Jewish families. In 1934, they moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, hoping to be safe there. At first, life was good for Anne in Amsterdam. She went to school, made friends, and lived like any other young girl.
The German Invasion
Everything changed in May 1940 when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands. The Nazis brought their harsh rules against Jewish people to Amsterdam. Anne and other Jewish children had to go to special Jewish-only schools. They couldn’t ride bikes, go to movies, or even sit in public parks. They had to wear yellow stars on their clothes to show they were Jewish.
Going into Hiding
In July 1942, when Anne was 13, her family went into hiding. They hid in some secret rooms behind her father’s business office.
These rooms were called the “Secret Annex.” The Franks weren’t alone – another family, the van Pels, and a dentist named Fritz Pfeffer also hid with them. In total, eight people lived in the small hidden space.
Some brave Dutch people helped them by bringing food, supplies, and news from the outside world.
The main helpers were Miep Gies, Johannes Kleiman, Victor Kugler, and Bep Voskuijl. These people risked their lives to protect the families in hiding.
Life in the Secret Annex
Life in hiding was very hard. The eight people had to be extremely quiet during business hours so the workers in the building wouldn’t hear them. They couldn’t go outside or even look out the windows. They lived in constant fear of being discovered.
During this time, Anne wrote in her diary, which she had received for her 13th birthday. She named her diary “Kitty” and wrote to it like a friend.
She wrote about her daily life, her feelings, her hopes, and her dreams. She wrote about the difficulties of living in hiding, about growing up, and about her changing feelings toward her family and the other people in the Annex.
Anne as a Writer
Anne wasn’t just writing a simple diary – she was becoming a real writer. After hearing on the radio that the Dutch government wanted to collect personal accounts of people’s experiences during the war, Anne began rewriting her diary.
She hoped to publish it as a book after the war. She changed names, improved her writing, and added more details.
In her diary, Anne shows herself as a normal teenager dealing with normal teenage problems, even in abnormal circumstances.
She wrote about arguing with her mother, having a crush on Peter van Pels (the teenage son of the other family), and wanting to become a writer when she grew up. She also wrote deep thoughts about human nature, war, and her hopes for the future.
Discovery and Arrest
On August 4, 1944, after two years in hiding, someone told the Nazi police about the Secret Annex. The police arrested everyone who had been hiding there, along with two of their helpers.
Anne’s diary was left behind, scattered on the floor. Miep Gies found it and kept it safe, without reading it, hoping to return it to Anne after the war.
The Concentration Camps
The Nazis sent the Frank family to Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Poland. Later, Anne and Margot were sent to another camp called Bergen-Belsen in Germany.
Conditions in the camps were terrible. People were starving, sick, and cold. Many died from hunger, disease, and cruel treatment.
In early 1945, Anne and Margot died from typhus, a disease spread by lice. Anne was only 15 years old. Her sister Margot was 19. Their mother had already died at Auschwitz.
Of the eight people who hid in the Secret Annex, only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived the war.
The Diary Becomes Public
When Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam after the war, Miep Gies gave him Anne’s diary. After reading it, he decided to fulfill his daughter’s wish to be a writer.
He worked to get the diary published. The first Dutch edition came out in 1947, titled “The Secret Annex.”
Since then, Anne’s diary has been translated into more than 70 languages. Millions of people around the world have read it.
The building where Anne and the others hid is now a museum called the Anne Frank House. Hundreds of thousands of people visit it each year.
Why Anne’s Story Matters
Anne Frank’s diary is special because it helps us understand the Holocaust through the eyes of a young person.
While she writes about the big, terrible events happening around her, she also writes about normal teenage life – her hopes, dreams, and everyday thoughts. This makes her story very real and relatable, especially for young readers.
Anne once wrote, “I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!”
Her wish came true. Her words have helped millions of people understand what happened during the Holocaust. Her story reminds us to stand up against hate and prejudice.
Anne also wrote, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
These words are amazing because she wrote them while hiding from people who wanted to harm her. They show her hope for humanity, even in the darkest times.
Lessons for Today
Anne Frank’s story teaches us important lessons that still matter today:
First, it shows us how dangerous hate and prejudice can be. The Nazis’ hatred of Jewish people led to the deaths of millions of innocent people, including Anne and her family.
Second, it reminds us that even in the worst situations, there are good people who will help others. The people who helped hide the Franks risked their own lives to do what was right.
Finally, Anne’s diary shows us that every person’s story matters. Anne was just a regular teenager, but her words have touched millions of people and helped them understand an important part of history.
Anne Frank didn’t live to see her 16th birthday, but her story lives on. Her diary helps us remember what happened during the Holocaust and teaches us to work for a world where such things can never happen again.
More essays:
- Essay About Independence Day in English
- Essay Writing: Should Plastic Be Banned?
- Essay About Time Management
- Essay About Health is Wealth
- Essay About Pollution Due to Urbanization
