The Diary of a Young Girl

from The School Times, March 1997

OTTO FRANK edited the first version of his daughter's diary. Certain things were left out for family and personal reasons. Now, a new edition of the diary has been released. It contains many details left out by Otto in 1947.

The new edition of the diary comes at a time when the story of the Holocaust is again in the headlines. More than 50 years after the Second World War, news stories about Nazi War criminals in Britain, Swiss banks making money from Holocaust gold, and some Parisians [a person who lives in Paris, France, is a 'Parisian')  living in the homes of Jewish deportees fill the newspapers. The French government has even admitted that there are stolen Jewish paintings in their public art galleries!

In Germany, there are stories of former Nazi slaves who do not receive a pension from the German government. At the same time those who tortured Jewish prisoners do receive state pensions! Against the background of these stories, the new edition of Anne Frank's Diary will give a deeper understanding of those terrible times.

It is a voice from the past, a very human voice. Yet, it is only one voice from among the one and  a half million children, under the age of 16, who were murdered by the Nazis.

We can only hope that Anne Frank's voice is strong enough to reach the extremist groups which still exist throughout Europe. Perhaps, just perhaps, the human story of this young girl will shame those who try to defend or deny the Holocaust. Her voice is, after all, a tragic reminder of the effects racism can have on a civilized society.

Interview with Adele Domb of The Anne Frank Educational Trust in London

Adele, what is the importance of Anne Frank today?
From Anne Frank and her diary children and adults all over the world can learn about racism and discrimination.

What is her importance to the Jews?
She is no doubt one of the best-known of the Holocaust victims. I think every Jewish family across the world can relate to her because so many have a relative who suffered in the Holocaust, or, who lost family members.

Her diary is one of the most popular books in the world. Why?
She had a special talent. She could write and record the things she felt and experienced and her diary is a constant reminder that these things should not happen.

Do we know how many children and young people were murdered by the Nazis?
About  a million Jewish children were killed. Of course, there were many others; gypsy children and the physically and mentally handicapped were killed because they did not fit in with the Nazi ideal.

Do you know how many copies of Anne Frank's Diary have been sold since it was first published?
Over 25 million, her diary is the second most popular non-fiction book in the world ¾ after the Bible. It has been translated into over 55 languages. Copies have sold in places as far off as Japan. Her diary was also read by Nelson Mandela when he was in that he found it an inspiration and that it gave him hope and courage in his darkest hours.

Is there anything in the diary which especially appeals to teenagers?
I think in the new edition of the diary of Anne Frank people will realise that she was not just a child, but a young woman. In spite of being locked up in an attic she still had the same development and sexual awareness that teenagers around the world have today.

And she did not always see eye to eye with her mother?
She had the same tussles [arguments and fights] with her mother that daughters can have with their mothers. The fact that it all happened more than 50 years ago is neither here nor there. Even under those conditions [of being locked up and hidden from the Nazis] she still experienced what all teenagers experience.

She was changing from a girl into a young woman and she fell in love?
Yes, there was a boy in the annexe where her family was hiding. She found him attractive; she enjoyed being with him ... things normal teenagers experience. [Anne's father took out some of the most private details from Anne's diary before it was published for personal and family reasons]

Adele, you work for the Anne Frank Educational Trust. What exactly does the trust do?
The Anne Frank Educational Trust here in Britain tours the country with exhibitions about the life of Anne Frank. We also have school projects which deal with discrimination and racism. And then we have Anne Frank Day on June 12, which was Anne Frank's birthday. That is an education day that we have here in Britain.

Small groups of young people are attracted to ‘Neo-Nazi’ movements. Do you see a reason for this?
To be perfectly honest with you, I am not sure what the attraction is. But the fact that these groups exist in our society, gives the Anne Frank Educational Trust inspiration to continue.

One aim of these movements is to deny that the Holocaust actually happened...
Yes, Holocaust denial [refusing to believe or accept that the Nazis murdered six million Jews] does still happen. We believe that these groups are looking for an extreme type of nationalism ¾ which is dangerous and wrong. They do not feel comfortable living in a multi-cultural society. But, whether we like it or not, the world has no boundaries. Perhaps they themselves feel insecure as individuals and gain strength from being part of a group. Their problem is that they do not act very socially with the rest of society.

Adele, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us.
Thank you.