Did you write to Otto Frank?
MEMBERS of the community who may have corresponded with Anne Frank’s father Otto during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s are being urged to dig out any hand-written or typed letters they may have received from him.
The call has been put out by the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) and Holland’s iconic Anne Frank House.
The father of the famous diarist received a large amount of correspondence in the years that followed the English publication of The Diary of Anne Frank, most penned by girls the same age as Anne or older.
While the Anne Frank House has retained all the letters sent to Otto, his replies were not copied or archived.
SJM volunteer Anne Slade, project manager of the campaign to locate the letters, said: “We’re hoping to make contact with anyone who corresponded with Otto Frank during this period, and who would be willing to give the originals to the Anne Frank House or allow copies to be made for their archives.”
Slade said as it is 70 years since Anne and her sister Margot perished in Bergen-Belsen, it is “more important than ever that Anne’s message of tolerance, hope and respect is preserved”.
“Otto Frank’s letters are an important part of this story,” she said.
Anne and her husband Alan first learnt of the letters when they visited the Anne Frank House last year.
“We were surprised and fascinated by this unknown Australian connection and wanted to do what we could to help track the letters down,” she said. “The connection is also a powerful one for my husband, who lost many relatives in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.”
Stating that Anne Frank’s diary is “one of the most influential and accessible accounts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust”, SJM education officer Marie Bonardelli added: “Her diary resonates particularly strongly with young people, who connect and empathise with her youthful voice and engage with her message of tolerance.
“Following Anne’s death, Otto became the torch bearer of this legacy. His letters to young Australians are a continuation of this story, revealing personal insights and how he came to terms with being the sole survivor of his family.”
Among those Australians known to have corresponded with Otto are Anne Finlayson (Queenscliff, NSW, then Pymble); Betty Hatch (Fremantle, WA); Carol Davison (Niddrie, later Essendon North, then Carlton, Victoria); Diane Munro (Brisbane, Queensland, later Invercargill, New Zealand); and Elyse Wallace (Hurstville, NSW).
If you or someone you know is one of the people who wrote to Otto Frank and you still have his letters, please contact Anne Slade on 0418 670 352 or email anne@styletto.com.au.
EVAN ZLATKIS
Otto, Margot and Anne Frank in 1930.
comments