Anne Frank, the secret annex

• History
• Primary Education

Introduction

The Secret Annex: the place where Anne Frank lived in hiding for over two years during the Second World War. Students are introduced to the Secret Annex through three videos and a look inside the digital Secret Annex. Interactive questions are used as prompts for a discussion about Anne’s life in the Secret Annex. The lesson ends with a critical thinking question about the Secret Annex as it is today.

Instructions

You can use this lesson as a starting point for your lessons on the Second World War or in preparation for a visit to the Anne Frank House.

Tip: Prepare by watching the videos from the lesson and visiting the digital Secret Annex.

Anne Frank, the secret annex

Introduction slide

Discover the place where Anne Frank went into hiding for more than two years during World War II: the Secret Annex

Introduction slide

Together with the students, take a closer look at Anne Frank's life while she was in hiding in the Secret Annex. Find out how, with whom and why Anne lived there.

At the end of the lesson (slides 23 and 24), there is the option to let the students individually (or collectively) take a look at the digital Secret Annex. There they will see the rooms as they were during the hiding period and get more information.

What do you already know about the Secret Annex?

Activate students' prior knowledge. Have them fill in words that come to mind when they think of the Secret Annex.

Discuss the answers and have students find connections between them. Drag these together. Which themes fit with them? Write these above if necessary. 

On 6 July 1942, Anne and her parents went into hiding at Prinsengracht 263. Why did they pick that particular day?

1. They hadn’t managed to emigrate to America, Canada, or Switzerland.
2. The Nazis introduced more and more laws and regulations that made the lives of Jews more difficult.
3. The Frank family heard more and more rumours about the poor conditions in the labour camps.
4. Margot Frank received a letter saying she had to go to a labour camp.

Answer: D

Otto Frank had been preparing a hiding place in the annex of his business premises for some time because of the reasons given in the other answers to this question. The decisive factor in going into hiding on 6 July was the letter Margot received in July 1942. The next slide shows a picture of the letter.

Drag and drop the images to the matching text.

From 1 September 1941, Jewish pupils could only be taught by Jewish teachers in separate Jewish schools.

In July 1941, the first Jews in the Netherlands received call-ups for the labour camps. Margot received her letter in July 1942, which caused the Frank family to go into hiding earlier.

From 15 September 1941, public places, such as sports clubs, swimming pools, parks, and zoos, were ‘Forbidden for Jews’. Margot was no longer allowed to go to the rowing club.

On 6 July 1942, the Frank family went into hiding.

Ask students to connect the pictures and description. They can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them. Afterwards, discuss together the moments that led to Anne Frank going into hiding.

Tip: Start together with the letter Margot received and show this picture enlarged. This way you link the answer to the previous question to the assignment on this (and the next) slide.

Drag and drop the images to the matching text.

On 3 June 1945, Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam as the only survivor of the eight people from the Secret Annex.

On 4 August 1944, the people from the Secret Annex were discovered, arrested, and imprisoned.

On 16 November 1942,
Fritz Pfeffer was the last to move into the Secret Annex.

In 1943, the bookcase was installed.

On 13 July 1942, the Van Pels family moved into the Secret Annex.

Ask students to connect the pictures and description. They can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them. Afterwards, discuss together the moments that led to Anne Frank going into hiding and her period in hiding.

Duration: 1’34’’

Watch the video.

In this video, students learn more about the bookcase and how the people in hiding lived every day in fear of being discovered.

Drag the description to the right room.

‘At the top of the stairs is another door with a frosted window on which the word “Office” is written in black letters. This is the big front office — very large, very light and very full. Bep, Miep and Mr Kleiman work there during the day. After passing through an alcove containing a safe, a wardrobe and a big supply cupboard, you come to the small, dark, stuffy back office.’

9 July 1942

‘To the right of the stairs is a windowless washroom with a sink and a separate toilet.’

9 July 1942

‘Now our Secret Annex has truly become secret. Because so many houses are being searched for hidden bicycles, Mr Kugler thought it would be better to have a bookcase built in front of the entrance to our hiding place. Mr Voskuijl did the carpentry work.’

21 August 1942

‘The large warehouse on the ground floor is used as a workroom and storeroom and is divided into several different sections, such as the stockroom and the milling room where cinnamon, cloves and a pepper substitute are ground.’ 9 July 1942

‘Just as we thought, Mr Dussel is a very nice man. Of course, he didn’t mind sharing a room with me; to be honest, I’m not exactly delighted at having a stranger use my things, but you have to make sacrifices for a good cause, and I’m glad I can make this small one. “If we can save even one of our friends, the rest doesn’t matter,” said Father, and he’s absolutely right.’

19 November 1942

‘Even though it’s Saturday, I’m not bored! That’s because I’ve been up in the attic with Peter. I sat there dreaming with my eyes closed, and it was wonderful.’ 18 March 1944

Anne Frank described the rooms of the Secret Annex in her diary. Have the students drag the descriptions to the correct rooms.

Zoom in

You will see a new a section of a picture with each slide.

• What do you see?
• What do you notice?

Wonder

See

Think

Students are shown a section of a picture with each slide.

For each section, they ask themselves what they see, what they think and what questions they have. At the end, they will see the entire picture.

• What do you see now?

• Does the new information answer your questions?

• What has changed from what you saw before?

• What do you see now?
• What has changed from what you first saw?
• Does the new information answer your questions?

• What do you see now?
• What has changed from what you first saw?
• Does the new information answer your questions?

Before going into hiding, Anne had started collecting postcards and pictures of movie stars.

Take a look inside Anne Frank’s room in the Secret Annex here.

‘Up to now, our bedroom, with its blank walls, was very bare. Thanks to Father — who brought my entire postcard and movie-star collection here beforehand — and to a brush and a pot of glue, I was able to plaster the walls with pictures. It looks much more cheerful.’

Anne Frank, 11 July 1942

She expanded her collection with new pictures from magazines brought in by the helpers. She would take some pictures down, add new ones, or paste them over older ones.

Information accompanying the image:

The rooms in the Anne Frank House are now empty. This photo shows a reconstruction of Anne Frank's room made in 1999.

Anne Frank’s room was one of the places in the Secret Annex where she spent most of her time. She shared this room with Fritz Pfeffer.

Check out the hot spots on this slide and enter her room through the link. Look around and highlight some of the pictures she pasted on her wall.

Duration: 1’41’’

Students find out more about Anne Frank through the pictures she pasted on her wall in the Secret Annex.

What did you learn about Anne from seeing her room? 

Discuss the students’ answers. Explanations can be found in the video on the next slide.

The Anne Frank House

On 3 May 1960, Anne’s old hiding
place was turned into a museum.

Otto Frank wanted to leave the
rooms in the Secret Annex empty.

“Ik vraag vergiffenis als ik hier in dit huis niet meer tot u spreek. U zult begrijpen dat de gedachte aan alles dat hier gebeurd is, mij te machtig is. Ik kan alleen u allen danken voor de interesse, dat u door uw komst hier toont.”

Otto Frank, tijdens opening Anne Frank Huis, 3 mei 1960

Informatieve slide

Als je nu het Achterhuis bezoekt loop je door lege ruimtes. Er zijn wel nog enkele dingen te zien, zoals de plaatjes in Anne Frank haar kamer. 

In het digitale Achterhuis kun je de ruimte bekijken zoals ze eruit zagen tijdens de onderduikperiode van Anne Frank. In elke ruimte kan je 360 graden om je heen kijken en vind je meer informatie over de ruimte en hoe Anne daar leefde. 

(De link naar het digitale Achterhuis vind je op slide 24, optioneel kan je dit nog klassikaal bekijken of je zet de leerlingen zelfstandig aan de slag)

Why do you think Otto Frank wanted to leave the rooms in the Secret Annex empty?

Discuss the students’ answers.

Explanation: ‘After the Anne Frank House had been restored, they asked me if I wanted to have the rooms refurnished. But I said, “No. They took everything out during the war, and I want to keep it that way.”’ Otto Frank in Het Vrije Volk, 24 May 1962

‘I beg your forgiveness if I do not speak from this house anymore. You will understand that the memories of everything that happened here are too painful. I can only thank you all for the interest you have shown by coming here.’

Otto Frank, during the opening of the Anne Frank House, 3 May 1960

‘After the Anne Frank House had been restored, they asked me if I wanted to have the rooms refurnished. But I said, ‘No. They took everything out during the war, and I want to keep it that way.’’

Otto Frank in het Vrije Volk, 24 mei 1962

“I apologise for not speaking from this house after today. You will understand that the memories of everything that happened here are too powerful. I can only thank you all for the interest you have shown in coming here.”

Otto Frank, during the opening of Anne Frank House, 3 May 1960

Toelichting op vraag van de vorige slide d.m.v quotes van Otto Frank.

Click on the spinner and answer the question.

What did students learn from this lesson? 

Click 'GO!' to start the spinner. 

You can use the spinner in different ways in the classroom:

• Plenary: click on 'GO!' and assign one (or more) student(s) to answer the question. 
• Plenary (interactive): ask a student to click 'GO!' on the IWB and answer the question.
• Plenary + groups: Click on "GO!" and ask students to first discuss the question in a small group. Then ask some groups to share their answer with the class.

Additional instructions: When you have finished a question, click on 'Run again without ...'.  
Or, for the application questions, choose to leave it in so that another student can answer the question too. Go through all the questions like this.

‘We cannot change what happened anymore. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and to realise what discrimination and persecution of innocent people mean. I believe that it’s everyone’s responsibility to fight prejudice.’

 

Otto Frank, 1970.

Last slide

A quote to end the lesson with a message from Otto Frank.

In a moment, you will take a look at the (digital) Secret Annex.

• We will start in the room with the bookcase.
• By clicking on the doors you go to another room.
• In each room you can:

      - see 360 degrees around you.

      - find more information.

Step into the digital Secret Annex

Optional/Extra item for more exploration

Here we see a cross-section of Prinsengracht 263, Otto Frank's business premises; Opekta. This is where Anne Frank was in hiding.

Info: Direct the students to the (online) Secret Annex. There they can experience how it would have looked during Anne Frank's time in hiding.

Give the students the following link to enter the digital Secret Annex:  Achterhuis: https://www.annefrank.org/en/anne-frank/secret-annex/landing/

OR

Check the box at the bottom of this slide for students to see it on their device. Then they can use the hyperlink on the slide.