Summer - Flipbook - Page 20
By: Mark Schneider - Past President
The Frank family moved to Amsterdam where they
thought they’d be safer, eventually settling (and
hiding out) at 263 Prinsenngracht.
I’ve been fortunate to have visited the Frank house in
Amsterdam twice. I will never forget that bookcase
and climbing the hidden stairs from the lower level
business, all while being able to explore the rooms in
the secret annex where Anne’s diary was born and
created.
But her Dad and Mom did make serious (but sadly
unsuccessful) efforts to move the family to America.
Otto used his strong connections — but specifically
the Macy’s and the Straus family links failed the
Franks. I specifically thought of that sad episode in
their lives as I recently stood outside our local
Manhasset Macy’s.
Edith’s brothers Julius and Walter both tried to bring
the family over here as well since they had already
arrived in America. They worked to explore ways to
permit legal immigration but sadly, their efforts, along
with the growing restrictions and challenges faced by
Jewish refugees in general, failed.
As we have historically learned, Otto Frank was
responsible for arranging for the publishing of his
daughter’s famed diary. A father who loses his
daughter—one can say there is nothing worse. Otto
Frank was given Anne’s diary after the war by family
friend Miep Geis, who gave it to him with the words
