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For many people the story of Anne Frank
is the first, if not the only, exposure to the history
of the Holocaust. Over 18 million copies of Anne Frank:
The Diary of a Young Girl have been sold in 52 languages.
The diary has come to represent more than the poignant
thoughts and dreams of a unique young girl; it is a universal
symbol of courage and hope. Its appeal reaches beyond
all classifications of descent, nationality, or age.
Because the diary remains an imposing document that reveals
Anne's ability to unmask the inhumanity of racism and
fascism, it stands as a warning for future generations
that has lost none of its timeliness.
"Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945" recreates
the world of Anne Frank and her diary. Her personal
family history is reconstructed through family photographs
(many never before published), a model of the Secret Annex where the Frank family
hid for two years, and manuscripts from Anne's workbooks and diary. This family
story serves as a powerful example of what could happen to an 'ordinary' family
during those years.
The Frank family history is placed
in the historical context of the period. It shows the
broad picture of historical developments during the Nazi
era and then narrows its focus to observe in great detail
daily life in Nazi Germany and occupied Holland. Attention
is paid to the choices people made: to vote for Hitler
or against; to collaborate or resist; to protest
or remain silent; or - a choice in itself - to do nothing.
The Exhibition explores how Nazism
began and subsequently thrived. The election of the Nazis, the systematic
dismantling of democracy, and the escalating persecution
of "enemies" point out a lesson to be remembered today in our world.
Discrimination and scapegoating were at the root of the movement which ultimately
led to the Holocaust, taking the lives of Anne Frank and millions of others.
The
Exhibition is not a static collection of facts and photographs, but a profound
month-long educational experience for an entire community. The experience
offers the community more than the opportunity to
memorialize one victim of Nazi persecution, it contains
a message that holds meaning for each of us, a message
that speaks to us today.
By examining the events and conditions
that led to the Holocaust, the Exhibition challenges
each of us to explore our own experience with discrimination
and our responsibility in a democracy. The Exhibition
helps to build racial, ethnic, and religious understanding
between all classes and groups of people, and it
is especially useful as a teaching tool for young
people. The message of Anne Frank's story is needed
today to strengthen people who strive to create
and maintain a just, stable, and humanitarian world.
"Anne Frank in the World:
1929-1945" was created by the Anne Frank
Foundation in Amsterdam. The Exhibition opened simultaneously in Amsterdam, Frankfurt,
and New York City on June 12, 1985. Since that time the Exhibition has been seen
by more than 1.3 million people worldwide, one-third of them school children.
The U.S. opening was recognized in a joint Resolution of Congress declaring a
national "Anne Frank Day." Currently, four Exhibitions are on tour
through Holland, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Japan, and the United States.
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