Anne Frank House - Attractions in Amsterdam

The Anne Frank House is situated in the center Amsterdam: the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II. Anne Frank was a normal girl in exceptional circumstances. For more than two years her diary described the events in her daily life.

ANNE FRANK FOUNDATION
The Anne Frank Foundation was founded in 1957 to save the Anne Frank House from being demolished. In 1960 the house was opened as museum and since then it has been visited by millions of people from all four corners of the globe. The Foundation also develops educational products and activities. This includes educational material for young people. This is aimed at preparing them for the future when they will study and work with people from different backgrounds.

MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE OF THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE
The Anne Frank House has two parts. In ‘het Achterhuis’ the rear part of the house, Anne and her family remained in hiding. In the front part of the house there was a company belonging to Otto Frank, Anne’s father. When the house later opened as museum, it attracted more people than had been anticipated. Due to a lack of room the front part of the house was used as an entrance and exhibition room. As a result the historical role of this part of the house became less clear. Therefore the project ‘Behoud en Toekomst Renovatie Anne Frank Huis’ (Preservation and Future Renovation of the Anne Frank House) was set up. In 1999 the rear part of the house was returned to its original condition and the front part of the house was reconstructed. The adjoining building is now used as an entrance.

THE HOUSE
In the original Anne Frank House the visitor is informed about whathappened during the period of hiding. The front part of the house has being returned to the style and atmosphere it had during the period of hiding. Due to conservation the rear part of the house has remained entirely in its original condition. Anne Frank’s story is told using quotes from her diary and per room the function and atmosphere as described in the diary are reconstructed. To reinforce the story, original objects, documents and photos from the time can be seen.The entrance to the museum can be found next to the Anne Frank House. Here you will find a museum shop, a museum café, a reception room for groups, a CD-ROM presentation, and an exhibition on a theme of current interest.

EXHIBITION ON A CURRENT THEME
In the Anne Frank House every year there is an exhibition on a current theme relating to World War II. This year's theme is "The Nationalistic Temptation". In this the themes of patriotism, nationalism and extreme nationalism play a central role. The exhibition contains historical background information, personal stories, people's statements and a visitor's questionnaire.