Dark Tour of the Holocaust at the Anne Frank Museum, Amsterdam

The Netherlands is an attractive travel destination, known for its modern, clean cities and a unique emotional connection with Indonesians. Among its many beautiful tourist sites, one stands out as a somber reminder of the lives impacted by World War II. The Anne Frank House, located in Amsterdam, is a must-visit for those interested in Dutch history.

The Anne Frank House, a museum dedicated to the German-Jewish diarist Anne Frank, is located in a canal house in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was here that Anne, her family, and four other Jews hid from the Nazis from 1942 until they were betrayed and discovered by the Gestapo in 1944. The museum opened in 1960 and also includes two adjacent buildings.

 

Anne’s father, Otto Frank, a German businessman, moved his family—his wife and two daughters—from Germany to Amsterdam before the outbreak of World War II to escape Nazi persecution. In 1940, he relocated his food products business to 263 Prinsengracht, a canal house originally built in 1635. The building featured a rear annex, now known as the Secret Annex, hidden from view by surrounding structures. It was in this concealed space that the group of eight lived in isolation, never venturing outside and relying on supplies brought by friends and some of Otto’s employees. After the Germans raided the house, they emptied it, but a staff member named Miep Gies managed to rescue Anne’s diary, which she had kept hidden. Gies later returned the diary to Otto, the only survivor from their group sent to the extermination camp.

 

Otto dedicated himself to editing and publishing the diary, which was first published in Dutch in 1947. The Anne Frank Foundation was established in 1957, with Otto’s cooperation, to preserve the canal house as a museum. The initial number of visitors was high, leading to renovations and expansions of the museum in 1999.

 

Anne Frank’s house is situated in the Prinsengracth area, which translates to “Prince’s Canal,” and is part of Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage List. This narrow, tall building, commonly called a canal house, always has a line of visitors eager to see the biographical museum. Inside, Anne Frank and her family once hid from Nazi persecution during World War II. The house became a museum in 1960, largely due to the popularity of Anne Frank’s diary, which was found in this very place.

The Frank family lived in this historic house. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, managed a spice company called Opekta and Pectacon and used the house as both a warehouse and office, as well as their family residence. When Nazi soldiers began hunting Jewish people in Europe, Anne, her parents, her sister, and four others hid in a secret room at the back of the house, called the Secret Annex or Achterhuis in Dutch.

 

For two years and one month, the family lived in the small, 46-square-meter room. During this time, Anne documented her life in hiding from the Nazis in her diary. Tragically, the Nazis eventually discovered their location and deported the Frank family to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Anne and her family perished in the camp, with only her father, Otto, surviving.

When Anne Frank was detained, a few Dutch individuals who had worked for her father saved some of the family’s belongings, including Anne’s diary. After World War II, Anne’s diary was returned to her father, who subsequently published it and established the Anne Frank Foundation to raise funds to repurchase the family’s house.

 

The museum, opened on May 3, 1960, allows visitors to see the Secret Annex where Anne and her family hid, concealed behind a bookshelf. Anne’s diary is displayed in the house, along with two other works she wrote, “Favourite Quote Notebook” and “Tales Book.”

 

The Anne Frank House has been preserved in its original condition from before World War II. The ground floor served as the warehouse, the first floor as her father’s office, and the upper floors as the family’s living space, including Anne’s room, her parents’ room, the dining area, kitchen, and family room.

Next door to the Anne Frank House is a café and bookstore, where visitors can conclude their tour and view the Anne Frank exhibition. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (April – October) and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (November – March). Tickets are available online or at the museum and cost €9 per person, approximately 142,000 IDR. To visit the Anne Frank House, it’s recommended to purchase tickets online, as only online ticket holders are admitted between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with ticket office sales starting at 3:30 p.m.