From Frankfurt to Amsterdam
Annelies Marie Frank, known as Anne, was born on 12 June 1929 in Frankfurt am Main. Her address in Amsterdam was Merwedeplein from February 1934. Her father Otto Frank later ran a firm at Prinsengracht 263, and in the rear house of that building the family went into hiding.
The story of Anne Frank is part of the persecution and murder of the Jews of Europe. This page names the dates and the people involved as plainly as possible. Where the history leaves open questions, the text says so.
The story in dates
The main stages in order.
12 June 1929: birth
Anne is born in Frankfurt am Main as Annelies Marie Frank.
February 1934: Merwedeplein
From this month Anne's address is Merwedeplein in Amsterdam.
5 and 6 July 1942: into hiding
On 5 July 1942 Margot Frank receives a call-up to a so-called labour camp. The family goes underground the next day, 6 July 1942. Otto Frank has prepared the hiding place in his company building.
4 August 1944: arrest
The eight people in hiding are arrested. The helpers Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler are arrested as well.
After the arrest: deportation
The route leads from Amsterdam to the Westerbork transit camp and then to the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Early November 1944: Bergen-Belsen
Anne and Margot are deported to Bergen-Belsen. Their parents stay in Auschwitz at first.
February 1945: death
Anne and Margot die in Bergen-Belsen, Margot first.
More than two years in hiding
On 6 July 1942 the Frank family left their home and went into the Secret Annex. The van Pels family, Hermann, Auguste and Peter, joined them, and later Fritz Pfeffer. In all, eight people lived in the rear house. The rooms and the daily life are described on the page about the Secret Annex.
Several people kept the hiding place secret and supplied it: Johannes Kleiman, Victor Kugler, Bep Voskuijl, Johan Voskuijl, and Miep and Jan Gies. In August 1942 Johan Voskuijl built the revolving bookcase that hid the entrance.
Anne also wrote a diary. How it was written, reworked and published is told on the page about the Diary of Anne Frank.
The arrest on 4 August 1944
What is known and what is not.
The people arrested
All eight people in hiding were arrested: Anne, Margot, Otto and Edith Frank, Hermann, Auguste and Peter van Pels, and Fritz Pfeffer. With them, the helpers Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler were taken.
An open question
Why the raid took place is not established. No betrayer has been proven, and no person should be named as one.
From Westerbork to Bergen-Belsen
After the arrest the people from the Annex were deported. The route led from Amsterdam to the Westerbork transit camp and from there to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In early November 1944 Anne and Margot were taken to Bergen-Belsen. Their parents stayed in Auschwitz at first. Anne and Margot died in Bergen-Belsen in February 1945, as a result of the conditions in the camp and of illness. Margot died first.
No exact day of death is recorded. For a long time the end of March 1945 was assumed. Research made public in 2015 places their deaths probably in early February 1945. For this reason, this page names the month and no day.
Otto Frank after the war
Otto Frank was the only one of the eight people in hiding who survived. Soviet troops liberated him in Auschwitz. Later he supported the publication of the diary and the museum.
The Anne Frank House organisation was founded on 3 May 1957. The museum opened on 3 May 1960. The two dates are separate events: the organisation came first, the museum three years later.
Places to remember in Amsterdam
The museum at Prinsengracht 263 tells the story at the original site. Other places in the city belong to the same history of persecution, among them the Hollandsche Schouwburg and the National Holocaust Names Memorial. They are described on the page about Jewish Amsterdam.
Read more
Related pages on this site.
The Secret Annex
The eight people in hiding, the helpers, the rooms and the bookcase.
The Diary of Anne Frank
The versions of the text, the first edition and the rights.
Jewish Amsterdam
The Jewish Cultural Quarter and the places of remembrance.
Anne Frank House facts
The building, the dates and the visitor numbers.
The Anne Frank story: frequently asked questions
When did the family go into hiding?
On 6 July 1942. The day before, Margot Frank had received a call-up to a so-called labour camp.
When were the people in hiding arrested?
On 4 August 1944. The helpers Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler were arrested as well.
Who betrayed the hiding place?
That is not established. Why the raid took place is an open question, and no betrayer has been proven.
When did Anne Frank die?
In February 1945 in Bergen-Belsen. Her sister Margot died first. No exact day is recorded, so this page gives the month only.
Who survived?
Of the eight people in hiding, only Otto Frank survived. He was liberated in Auschwitz by Soviet troops.
Is this the official website of the Anne Frank House?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not connected to the Anne Frank Stichting or the Anne Frank Fonds. Museum tickets are sold only by the museum itself.