MovieChat Forums > Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001) Discussion > How did you first learn about Anne Frank...

How did you first learn about Anne Frank?

posted 18 years ago by AnneFrankfan284
30 replies | jump to latest

I think this could be interesting to see how people have learned about Anne Frank for the first time,here's my story

I was in the third grade at my old house and AMC was playing on the TV and i think it was a commercial for "the diary of Anne Frank".I asked who she was and he told me she was a girl who hid in an attic and died and her diary was found by her father.That's all he told me

but this part was when I really got interested in her

I recorded an episode of "Robot chicken" and they had that skit with Hilary Duff as Anne Frank(most people will know this skit)and I asked my dad again,who's Anne Frank.But this time,he told me in a more detailed way,he told me why they hid,who hid with them,who died,how they died,and how Otto found the diary and how it became a big hit.So i tried to find it at my school library,they didn't have it,but i went to borders one day and found it,we didn't get it at that time,but instead

a few days before x-mas 2005

I was reading one of the baby sitters club books on my couch and my sister comes in with a Victoria Secret bag,she just held it right in front of me,I grabbed it and looked inside and saw Anne Frank's face around the wrapper and *gasp*

now i want to hear your stories

What if he dies,and he never knows that I loved him

[–] daphnechen93 18 years ago

Hiya!

I was in first grade, a looong time ago, and our teacher was reading us a kind of picture book about Anne Frank. We were all really young, obviously, and we didn't get that she was real until the very end, when we found out that she died in the concentration camp. All of us were in complete shock and disbelief. We thought that the story would end happily ever after. It wasn't a very detailed story, just some background info, hiding in the attic, going to the concentration camp (I remember distinctly the teacher telling us about how they shaved her head), and how she died.

Now that I think about it, first grade seems a bit young, but I seem to remember that classroom. Perhaps it was second grade, at the very very very latest third.

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. --Tom Clancy

[–] thejanet 18 years ago

It does seem like first grade is awfully young. So does second grade, third grade, etc. (I think I was in fourth grade way back in the dark ages, and it wasn't a classroom reading but just one of the books we could check out from the teacher to take home and read.)

Now that I think about it, is ANY age not too young to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust? At age 52 I do have trouble wrapping my mind around such evil, such tragedy. My mother told me about seeing the people when the prison camps were liberated, and how she wondered how people that thin could be still alive. She was 16 then, and said she thought she was too young to see such things, that she was thinking they shouldn't have shown that newsreel before the movie.

So are we (the generic we) better off to not see such things and keep that horror firmly in the "can't imagine, never would have thought of" area? Or to see such things at an early age? I will never understand how people can do such to other people.

[–] rborquez4 18 years ago

I learned about Anne Frank when I was in 5th grade.It was around September- October 2005.Although the first time I heard of her when I was 7.She was mentioned in a timeline of the world in a dictionary which I still have.The description about her was like 3 sentences long and I had absolutely no idea what it was talking about.I was 10 when I actually learned something about her that made sense.It started by comparing the Hopi tribe to modern people.And one kid said that they were boring(the Hopis) and the teacher started to talk about racism and one kid asked about Hitler.I wasn't that much interested in world war II at that time, I already knew how it started.But I wanted to know how WWI started but the teacher didn't know much about WWI.Then, very soon after that, my mom and I were at her friend's house and she asked me what was I learning at school and I told her that we were learening about Christopher Columbus which we barely started learning about.And I asked them why was Hitler was such a big deal and they explained it all and then my mom's friend mentuied anne's diary.And I saw the book Anne Frank: A Photographic Story of a life by Kem Knapp sawyer and now I've read several books about Anne Frank including her diary which I've read 3 editions of it in 2 different languages (Spanish and English).I've also seen 2 movies about her including this one.I don't like the 1959 one so much but I still enjoy watching it.I've learned so much about her in only almost 2 years. P.S If you're wondering I'm 11, I’ll be 12 in September.And I don't think that any age is too young to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust.

[–] byan85 18 years ago

Hi there

i first learnt about her when i was in third class in primary school yuo see back then i was never really interested in anything till now well any way we had to learn about her for a test you see and i was never really keen on studying and whwn i went to my minders she asked like shes always did any homework only a little thing we have rto learn about some girl named anne anne frank she said yes i replied for a test but its ok its wicked easy no learn it said so i did and i slowly keened into it and started to enjoy it then that summer i went to kerry and i went to a book shop and i just asjed for it and the woman said iris or englis english i said of course and im in first year now and i have 11 books on anne frank/holocaust and my total for reading anne frank has been now 29 times literally cause its my favourite book ever annd i just adore it lol. helen rossiter ireland.

[–] daphnechen93 18 years ago

Hi there,

I'm pretty sure that it was first grade, because I remember that exact classroom. I was a smart cookie. The thing was, we didn't really understand much of what the Holocaust was, just that there was this girl named Anne Frank and some bad people took her and a lot of other people away and she died. It was just a picture book, we didn't go into studying the history of WWII or anything. The horror was not lost on us, though.

So are we (the generic we) better off to not see such things and keep that horror firmly in the "can't imagine, never would have thought of" area? Or to see such things at an early age? I will never understand how people can do such to other people.

I don't think so. I mean, there are things that we can protect the very young or fragile from until they are strong enough to handle it, but we should never, NEVER simple pretend that something didn't happen or just censor it so that other people can't see it. Take for example the Vietnam War, which was really the first war in history where censorship was at a minimum. For the very first time, people in America could see the real horrors of war, actual photographs and footage, of the hardships of both their soldiers and the Vietnamese people, leading to the questioning of American tactics and the true nature of war, as not just a clean thing with faceless people, but something that really cost lives.

Or, even take Anne Frank. What if people hadn't known about the Holocaust? Steps wouldn't have been taken to save those people who were persecuted. What would have happened if people like Oskar Schindler or Raoul Wallenberg had just closed their eyes and pretended it wasn't happening?

Finally, what if whatever horrors took place had already happened and passed, like the Holocaust, what if it was just part of history? Couldn't we just forget about it then? The answer is again, no, because events like these must be remembered so that they will never happen again. Nothing like the Holocaust should ever happen again and to do that we must remember how the course of history went and how to prevent it from repeating.

That was long :D The Holocaust is a heavy topic.

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. --Tom Clancy

[–] thejanet 18 years ago

Thank you, Daphne, for replying and discussing and thinking about what to tell at what age and when. It's an important issue, with far-reaching consequence.

We ARE on the same page, in total agreement. Horrible things done by horrible people hiding under rocks need to be exposed to sunshine. Censorship in many cases allow these horrific ideas to multiply in the dark.

My musing about what age, though, that was real. I don't remember how old my daughter was when she read the diary of Anne Frank, but I do remember her nightmares. Was she too young? Maybe, but I think also she GOT IT. That, at any age, if we can read Anne Frank and not have nightmares, we're missing a key part of our humanity.

[–] ellisajg 18 years ago

I was in the first grade, in spring break. I was on this train to Venice with my mother, brother, aunt, and grandmother. My mother wanted me to shut up, I assume, because even then I talked waaaaay too much. Thus, she gave me a short book on Anne Frank, the one my Joanna Hurwitz. I've been fascinated ever since...

[–] bamagurl15 18 years ago

I'm not too sure when it was,but I know I had heard something about her when I was younger,but never really got interested til when we had this project for class,and everyone in my class were given someone from the Holocaust to research and write a 3 page essay on and my teacher gave me Peter van Pels ,so I was really bummed out at first that I would have to also read the diary to pass that project,but I got The diary,and read it and loved it!She's been my hero ever since.

[–] taylorje 18 years ago

I first heard of Anne Frank at a sleepover in sixth grade (this was in the 1960's, LOL!!!). Someone had brought the book (Anne's published diary) and was talking about World War II and the Jews being killed. Even though I was a first-generation baby boomer I knew little about the war and had never heard of Jews being killed. My parents never talked about it. There wasn't as much interest in the Holocaust then. I got the book from the library and read it, and was horrified at what had happened to Anne. I found another book called "Anne Frank: A Portrait in Courage" by Ernst Schnabel. It was the first non-fiction book written about Anne. (It's been republished with the title "Footsteps of Anne Frank.") The author interviewed the many survivors who had known Anne, and also her father, Otto Frank. This was before the house became a tourist attraction. In fact, it was due to be torn down in the 1950's and only the efforts of Otto Frank and others saved it.

My parents just didn't focus a lot on World War II at all. They were teenagers during that time, my father was too young to enlist. They could never understand my deep interest in Anne and the concentration camps.

What I found so fascinating, I guess, was that Anne was a normal girl who liked her friends, got in trouble for talking in school, got crushes on boys. I was about her age when I first read the Diary, so I felt I could identify with her to a certain point. But then, while I was always safe, Anne wasn't. Her parents tried very hard to shield her and Margot from what was happening, before the invasion and after, but ultimately they knew everything.

Letters have recently been found (saw this on CNN's website) written by Otto Frank about 1938 to 1940. By that time he realized they were no longer safe in Holland and he tried desperately to get his wife and daughters sent out of the country, to London or America, but it was too late. He wrote to people he thought could help, but it was just too late.

[–] dramakid-1 18 years ago

I learned about her when I was at the tender age of four and a half when it was Remembrance Day. Since then Ive done LOADS of research about her and she is if not THE , one of the most remarkle people who lives/lived on this planet.

Yay me!

[–] gcgalea71 18 years ago

The first time know about Anne Frank about 11 years ago when I was finding a book to read. It was by chance that I found her dairy. The shop I brought it from at that time they had three version of her dairy. The first two versions of her dairy were the cut down version of the third one which is titled "The diary of a young girl Anne Frank The Definitive Edition " which I brought and read. By reading the book I know she died but I did not know how she died until I reached at the end. I did not looked at the back page until I reached it.

At that time when I was reading that book at 10 months later that I visited the hiding place of the Frank family and co in Amsterdam when I was touring in Europe. I will not forget how small their hiding is but we were not allow to take any photograph of the place. It was too dark anyway even though it was sunning outside.

I have other books about Anne Frank. The book I brought from that museum which is "The last seven months of Anne Frank" by Willy Lindwer which I start reading it 10 years ago and still haven't finished it, the other is "Roses from earth, The Biography of Anne Frank" by Carol Ann Lee which I read it couple of times. That book I read explains not only before and during the hiding but also it explains after they got caught they went through darning the imprisonment and how how they die. Also it explains to me what happen to Anne father how he was told that his family how they die and what he done about the dairy when it was given to him and what he done afterwards without I going into detail.

The other I brought is a picture book titled "In side Anne Frank's House" which is full of pictures about Anne life before during and after the hiding. Its well written and made to. Why I got because of her and an other reason why I got it because of the price. It was $100 AUD and it selling for $30 AUD. It was wrapped in plastic. Anyway that book is a heart breaker for me reading that book.

BTW I was 25 years old when I discover Anne Frank. Date today is 12th of June. Guess who's birthday it is.

Gerza71

[–] AnneFrankfan284 18 years ago

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNELIESE MARE FRANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] jo-gr_88 18 years ago

My mum has had the book, the definitive version, for as long as i can remember. I first read it when i was about 15. I thought she was a really enchanting writer, I'm glad i read the whole version and not the censored one.
It's an important book for people to read, so that we don't allow anything so horrible to happen again. I can't comprehend the final solution. I studied it at uni this sememster and i'm not closer to understanding why.
Another really haunting book about the holocaust is Elli, i had to read it in year 11. You should read it too.

[–] hesterloli 18 years ago

My younger sister got it to read and I was too scared to read it then. So now I am 30yrs later.

[–] maddiemoiselle 18 years ago

I was in fourth grade and it was in our weekly reading book. It was just a section, the entry from July 8th and then I got really interested. I was interested for about a week. Then I went to fifth grade and we had book orders. In the book orders, I saw a familiar face - the picture of Anne Frank from the reading book! It had meet the author in the weekly reading book and that picture was chosen. I circled the book and my mom got it for me. I have to keep starting over because I keep losing my place. I love it though! I know do tons of Google searchs about Anne Frank and stuff. I'm even writing a biography! My friend is obbssessed with Egypt and she asked me what I was obbssessed with and I answered, very simply, Anne Frank.

[–] skergirl_8 18 years ago

I had always known who Anne Frank was, but I did not know the ins and outs of her story. My friend from school told me that she had read the diary of Anne Frank and asked me if I would like to borrow it, since I take a great intrest in all things related to WWII and the holocaust. I now have my own copy because I enjoyed it so much. Her story inspired me and perharps even made me wiser, putting things into a diffrent perspective for me, making me feel lucky and happy with the life I have. She is my idol, as I am sure she is to many other people, but I see her as a very similar person. How I would have loved to talk to her. Just like her, for years and years, I have longed to be a journalist, I adore reading and writing and history and even have my own diary, which I started about two years before I began reading hers. She truly was a remarkable young woman. I can only express this enough to my friends, who understand me well enough not to think of me as odd or geeky to be such a huge fan. I'm 14, so as you may be able to imagine, there are a fair share of idiotic boys in my class who make fun of me enough already. But I still make it know that I'm passionate about this stuff. I asked my dad if he could take me to see Auschwitz and we're going very soon, I also plan to visit the Anne Frank House too. So, that's how I discovered Anne Frank and how she changed my life.

[–] awesomeash219 18 years ago

I remember my second eldest brother came home from school (in year 3 of third grade to Americans) and started telling my mother about how he learnt about Anne Frank in class that day. A particular fact had stuck with him - that Anne and the others hiding in the Annexe were only able to flush the toilet at certain time/s of the day. I've known about her ever since then, I would have been around 5 or 6 years old, and my knowledge of her has grown over time. I'm currently in year 11 and have chosen Anne Frank as the subject of a historical investigation for my Modern History class. I was really surprised when only two other students knew of Anne Frank at all - it seems to be such common knowledge to me.

[–] smegzilla 18 years ago

My mum had Anne Frank's diary on her book shelf for years. It's not the typical version, and it doesn't have the school picture of her on the front which is common. Instead, it was a black and white photograph of a statue of her in Amsterdam and the letters "Anne Frank's Diary" were printed in red, so it was very eye catching.

I remember being quite young when i noticed it and asked my mum about it. She told me (as best she could to a little girl) Anne's story. I already knew alot about WWII from school and my grandma (who lived in London during the war), and my mum watched alot of documentaries. Those were usually about the battles of WWII. I knew full well who Hitler was, but was too young to know about the other side of the war: the Holocaust.

Anyway i remember being intrigued and asking my mum why Hitler would want to kill Anne and other Jewish people, and all my mum could say was "because they were Jewish". I found it very upsetting.

When I was about 11 i tried to read the diary. I didn't finish it, probably because it was too hard for me even though i was an avid reader. A few years later when i was about 13 or 14, i read it.

By that time i'd already read quite a few books on the holocaust. Of course I was moved, and I've read it many times since.

I don't think anyone who has read her diary can ever forget it. It leaves quite an imprint.

It's such a tragedy that she did not survive along with all the other millions of Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's witnesses, gypsies, and resistance that died in the camps. Hopefully Anne and all of the other victims will never be forgotten.

[–] Fifteen_Mintues_Of_Fame 18 years ago

I dont really rember when i found out about her first. I kinda always knew who she was but i really stared to find out more about her in Fifth grade i believe. My wonderful teacher had told storys about anne and her family when we where learing about the holocaust. thats really when i became interested in her.

[–] MarcyCoby 17 years ago

I first learned about her when I was in elementary school, I can't remember the grade. My teacher used to make us read these thin magazines that were sent to our classroom and I remember reading about a girl who was hiding in an attic with her family. I was little and found that very strange mostly because I imagined it being a tiny attic. It wasn't until I was in my eighth grade English class when we read the novel and watched the movie. I loved it so much I bought my own copy of Anne's Diary but it's been years since I've read it.

[–] iluvhellokitty 17 years ago

I was in the forth grade and I had to do a project on some historical figure. I hadn't picked anyone yet, so I went to my school library and under the biography section there were only a few books left to chose from. It was either a pretty girl with curly hair or some Reagan guy. I ended up chosing the girl, when I read about her life, I was appaled at what she went through. That summer I told my grandma about her, and she told me that she had a copy of her diary, it took me most of the summer to read, (I was never a fast reader.) I've read passages of her diary, many, many times now and it still haunts me 5 years later.

[–] WileyDairyGnome 15 years ago

Of course YOU chose the girl.

--I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

In 8th grade English class. We read a Anne Frank play and did an Essay on her. Later that year, we went on a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance!