Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
others spent a little more than two years in a “Secret Annex” behind her father's business.
While in hiding, 13-year-old Anne kept a diary chronicling her extraordinary experience.
Acting on a tip, the Nazis arrested the group in August of 1944 and sent them to concentra-
tion camps in Poland and Germany. Anne and her sister died of typhus in March of 1945,
only weeks before their camp was liberated. Of the eight inhabitants of the Secret Annex,
only Anne's father, Otto Frank, survived. He returned to Amsterdam and arranged for his
daughter's diary to be published in 1947. It was followed by many translations, a play, and a
movie.
The thoughtfully designed exhibit offers thorough coverage of the Frank family, the di-
ary,thestoriesofotherswhohid,andtheHolocaust.TheFranks'storywasthatofHolland's
Jews. The seven who died were among the more than 100,000 Dutch Jews killed during the
war years. (Before the war, 135,000 Jews lived in the Netherlands.) Of Anne's school class
of87Jews, only20survived. When herfather returned toAmsterdam, hefoughttopreserve
this house, wanting it to become, in his words, “more than a museum.” It was his dream that
visitors come away from the Anne Frank House with an indelible impression—and a better
ability to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to our contemporary challenges.
Cost and Hours:
€9, not covered by I amsterdam Card; March 15-Sept 14 daily
9:00-21:00, Sat and July-Aug until 22:00; Sept 15-March 14 daily 9:00-19:00, Sat until
21:00; last entry 30 minutes before closing, often less crowded right when it opens or
after 18:00, no baggage check, no large bags allowed inside, tel. 020/556-7100,
Getting There:
It's at Prinsengracht 267, near Westerkerk and about a 20-minute walk
from Central Station. You can also take tram #13, #14, or #17—or bus #170 or #172—to the
Westermarkt stop, about a block south of the museum's entrance.
AvoidingLines:
Skipthelongticket-buying line(whichisespecially badinthedaytime
during summer) by purchasing your ticket and reserving an entry time online at
www.annefrank.org
(€0.50/person fee). Museumkaart holders can purchase an online reser-
vation without buying a separate Anne Frank House ticket. Book as soon as you're sure of
your itinerary.
You must present a print-out of your ticket and/or reservation; if you don't have access
to a printer, try emailing your confirmation to your hotel and asking them to print it—or
bring your confirmation number to the museum and explain the situation. With your ticket
(or Museumkaart plus reservation) in hand, you can skip the line and ring the buzzer at the
low-profile door marked
Entrance: Reservations Only
. Without a reservation, try arriving
when the museum opens (at 9:00) or after 18:00.
