What Did Anne Frank Do to Change History?
Anne Frank changed history through her diary, which not only enlightened the world to the suffering of the Jews during the Holocaust, but also showed the strength of the human spirit. Anne Frank’s diary, published as the “Diary of a Young Girl,” is one of the most popular books in the world.
Anne Frank was born in 1929 in Germany, but the family moved to the Netherlands once Adolph Hitler took power in 1933. Once the Germans came to Amsterdam, the family hid in a secret apartment from 1942 to 1944. During this time, Anne wrote in a diary she received when she was 13 years old. The diary is not only a historical account of the Holocaust, but it tells of Anne Frank’s impressions, feelings, and insights on war and humanity.
In 1944, the family was captured by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps. Anne Frank and her sister Margot were sent to Bergen-Belsen, where they died of typhus in March of 1945. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was the only member of the family to survive. He found Anne’s diary and had it published. The book became popular because people were able to identify with and understand Anne Frank. Eventually, it was made into a movie.