Anne Frank House

At the Anne Frank House in the center of Amsterdam you can find the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War Two. The original of the diary is on display as part of the Anne Frank House's permanent exhibition.

Visiting the Anne Frank House has been a moving experience for millions of people from all over the world. These pages will provide you with just a glimpse of what you can expect from such a visit.

When the first Dutch Jews receive call-up notices to report for the work camps in 1942, Otto Frank and his family go into hiding inside the building he uses for his own business. In 1933, the year that Otto Frank flees Germany, he becomes the licensee in the Netherlands of Opekta, a substance used in making jam.
The company is located in a house at 263 Prinsengracht. Like so many Amsterdam canal houses the building is comprised of a front part and a back part. The office and storage areas occupy the front part of the house. The back part of the house, also called the annex, is partially empty. With the help of two of his employees, Otto Frank furnishes four of the rooms of the annex to provide a hiding place for his own family and the Van Pels family.

Anne's Room

Due to the space limitations Anne has to share her room with Fritz Pfeffer (Albert Dussel).
A good portion of the diary was written by Anne at a small table in this room.

By order of the Germans all the furniture from the Annex is confiscated after the arrest of those in hiding in August of 1944. Still, at the Anne Frank House it is possible to view films of the furnished rooms of the Annex. These give an impression of how the hiding place looked during the war.

Before the lights go on at night the windows are darkened with black-out paper. The entrance to the Secret Annex is also camouflaged. In front of the door to the Annex, Bep's father, Mr. Voskuijl, builds a swinging bookcase for just this purpose. Because of the warehouse personnel and visitors to the company those in hiding have to keep quiet during office hours..

Furnished with tables, chairs, closets, and beds limit the freedom of movement of the eight inhabitants. In the evenings, on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday those in hiding can use the spaces in the front part of the house. Though after a few break-ins, such "trips" in the building are no longer made.

Location:

The entrance of the Anne Frank House is located at 267 Prinsengracht in the center of Amsterdam, next to the Westerkerk (the Westerchurch).

You can walk to the Anne Frank House from Centraal Station, Amsterdam's main train station, in 20 minutes. You can also board tram (streetcar) number 13 or 17 as well as buses number 21, 170, 171, or 172 which all go to the tram/bus stop called Westermarkt, located about a block (300 feet) from the museum's entrance.
If you're coming by car, use the highway (A10) and take the exit marked Centrum (S105).


Other information:

At the entrance of the museum you'll find free leaflets in 8 languages. A visit takes approximately 1 hour. Please take into account, that the museum may be busy during the season. You may have to wait in line. You are not allowed to take photographs or to film during opening hours.