04 August - The Holocaust and arrest Jewish diarist Anne Frank, her family, and four others.

 

On 04 August 1944, the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany, raided the secret annex where Anne Frank and her family had been hiding. Here's a detailed account of the events leading up to and following their arrest:

Background

• The Frank Family: Otto Frank, his wife Edith, and their daughters Margot and Anne went into hiding in July 1942 to escape Nazi persecution. They were joined by another Jewish family, the van Pels (referred to as the Van Daans in Anne's diary), and later by Fritz Pfeffer (referred to as Albert Dussel in the diary).
• The Secret Annex: The hidden area was located in the rear extension of Otto Frank's business premises at 263 Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. The entrance was concealed by a movable bookcase.

The Arrest

• Tip-Off: On 04 August 1944, an anonymous tip led the Gestapo, accompanied by Dutch police, to the secret annex. The identity of the informer has never been definitively established, although several theories exist.
• The Raid: Led by SS-Oberscharführer Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officers arrested the eight people in hiding. They were given a short time to pack their belongings before being taken away.
• Helpers Arrested: The helpers who had provided food and supplies to those in hiding—Miep Gies, Johannes Kleiman, Victor Kugler, and Bep Voskuijl—were also arrested. Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl were released later, while Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler were sent to concentration camps but survived the war.

After the Arrest

• Transport to Westerbork: The arrested individuals were first taken to Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands. They remained there for about a month before being deported to Auschwitz.
• Deportation to Auschwitz: On September 3, 1944, Anne Frank and the others were transported to Auschwitz, where the men and women were separated.
• Transfer to Bergen-Belsen: In late October 1944, Anne and Margot Frank were transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. Conditions there were deplorable, with widespread disease and starvation.
• Deaths: Both Anne and Margot Frank succumbed to typhus in early 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated by British forces. Edith Frank died in Auschwitz, while Otto Frank was the only member of the family to survive the Holocaust.

Legacy

• The Diary: Anne Frank's diary, which she began writing in June 1942, provides a deeply personal and poignant account of her life in hiding. After the war, Otto Frank found the diary and arranged for its publication. "The Diary of a Young Girl" has since become one of the most widely read and influential books in the world, offering a powerful testament to the horrors of the Holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit.
• Anne Frank House: The building where the Frank family hid is now a museum dedicated to preserving their story and educating visitors about the Holocaust.

The tragic events of 04 August 1944, mark a significant moment in history, highlighting the cruelty of the Nazi regime and the devastating impact of the Holocaust on millions of lives.