Anne Frank House 🇳🇱

The Anne Frank House is a biographical museum and former writer's home situated along the Prinsengracht canal near the Westerkerk in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is dedicated to Anne Frank, a young Jewish diarist who documented her experiences hiding from Nazi persecution during World War II. Spanning a series of historic canal-front properties from 263 to 267 Prinsengracht, the museum encompasses the 17th-century structure where she lived in concealment alongside her family and four other individuals.

Originally constructed in 1635 and renovated with a updated canal façade in 1740, the main building previously served as a private residence, a warehouse, and commercial premises before Otto Frank moved his company offices there in 1940. For over two years between 1942 and 1944, eight people lived inside the hidden rear extension of the property, known as the Secret Annex or Achterhuis. Following their discovery, arrest, and deportation—from which only Otto Frank survived—personal papers left behind were recovered by helpers Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl, leading to the Dutch publication of Anne's diary in 1947 under the title Het Achterhuis.

In the mid-1950s, the row of houses faced demolition by a apparel manufacturing firm. Public opposition and a newspaper preservation campaign led to the creation of the Anne Frank Foundation in 1957. The property was donated to the foundation, which purchased the adjacent premises at number 265 and restored the site. The museum officially opened on May 3, 1960, maintaining the emptied rooms of the rear annex to preserve the historical setting of the hiding place.

Today, the expanded museum complex connects the original annex and former office spaces with neighbouring structures that contain educational exhibitions. Visitors can view permanent displays covering Anne Frank's life and times, as well as exhibits devoted to addressing discrimination and persecution. Notable collection items include the Academy Award won by Shelley Winters for her role in the 1959 film adaptation of the diary, displayed in a protective glass case. Virtual reality presentations and online tours are also available to assist off-site visitors and expand accessibility.

The Anne Frank House is one of the most frequented cultural landmarks in the Netherlands, welcoming well over one million visitors each year. In 2017, it recorded 1.27 million visits, making it the third most visited museum in the country behind the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. The site operates under the direction of the Anne Frank Foundation and holds membership in the Dutch Museum Association.

Anne Frank House in pictures