Publisher's Synopsis
INTRODUCTION Anne Frank is world famous. Millions of people from all over the world have read her diary. The Anne Frank Foundation promotes Anne Frank and her mental legacy. The travelling exhibition 'Anne Frank - A History for Today' is by far the most visited Dutch exhibition in the world. My interest in the persecution of the Jews in general - and that of Anne Frank in particular - has gradually developed. In 1994-1996, I took part in volunteer projects in the former concentration camps - Sachsenhausen and Dachau - in Germany. During these activities, I was deeply afflicted by the contrast between the present silence in the former concentration camps and the past suffering of the prisoners who had been held captive here during the war. What afflicted me more than anything, however, was the cruelty of the Nazi regime - and the extent of that cruelty. In particular, I found one of the most shocking things as the sight of lampshades made from human skin; understandably, a number of the younger participants did not handle this sight too well. In 2001, I visited the Annex for the first time. The Annex leaves a deep impression on many people, and I was no exception. I could feel the tensions of the persons in hiding, and I realised that Anne had become caught in the Nazis' web: she had been torn away from her everyday world; her life was broken before it could blossom. Anne was interested in culture, religion and science, and she had a keen interest in society at large, being very concerned about everybody's ups and downs, and trials of life; that was why I thought it was so dismal that she had been killed - and only owing to the fact that she was a Jew. The need in me arose to portray the life of Anne Frank - not by means of a biography or a book with old pictures - many of which have been published many times before - but in a different light. Ultimately, I wanted to discover whether there are still remnants of her past life and surroundings lingering in the present. As a historic and photographer, I enjoy combining history and photography. As such, I firstly immersed myself in literature about, and by, Anne Frank. I considered this to be absolutely fundamental so that I could purposively take current pictures of her surroundings. In 2008-2009, I made a photo-report about the residences of Anne Frank (1929-1945). I visited her home addresses in Frankfurt am Main, Aachen, the Merwedeplein in Amsterdam, her place of hiding in the Annex in Amsterdam, and the concentration camps of Westerbork, Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen, where she was imprisoned. I have provided the pictures of short notes explaining the connection with Anne Frank; my recent pictures are an important addition to the many old pictures of Anne Frank. The emptiness left behind by Anne Frank becomes evident when I place a recent picture next to an old picture which depicts her, taken from the same angle. When making the pictures, I took special notice of interesting details and the historical character of the subject; after all, the pictures are the result of personal experiences, which were often quite intense. My pictures show that the traces of her residences are still visible in the (rural) landscape. You can map out your own route along the places which are reminiscent of Anne Frank. I got permission for visiting and taking pictures of the (inside) locations from the organisations concerned. My visits to those locations were carried out respectfully whilst actively taking into consideration the applicable rules of the locations. I hope that my picture book inspires the reader and viewer to delve deeper into the history of the Holocaust and Anne Frank, and that it contributes to the mutual tolerance and understanding between people and cultures.
