On August 4, 1944, Anne Frank and the other people who had been hiding in the secret annex in Amsterdam were discovered and arrested by the Nazi authorities. This pivotal event marked the end of their long period of concealment and the beginning of their deportation to concentration camps.
The Discovery and Arrest
For over two years, Anne Frank, her family (Otto, Edith, and Margot Frank), the Van Pels family (Hermann, Auguste, and Peter van Pels), and Fritz Pfeffer had been living in hiding in a secret annex behind Otto Frank's former business premises at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. They lived in constant fear of being discovered, and on August 4, 1944, their worst fears were realized.
The raid was carried out by German security police, led by SS-Hauptscharführer Karl Silberbauer. All eight people in hiding were arrested, along with two of their helpers, Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler. The annex was thoroughly searched, and valuables were confiscated. While the exact reason for the betrayal remains uncertain, this day brought their clandestine existence to an abrupt and tragic end.
The Immediate Aftermath
Following their arrest, Anne Frank and the other residents of the secret annex were first taken to the Gestapo headquarters in Amsterdam. From there, they were transferred to the Huis van Bewaring (House of Detention) prison and then to the Westerbork transit camp. In September 1944, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Later, Anne and Margot Frank were transported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they tragically died of typhus in early 1945, just weeks before the camp's liberation. Otto Frank was the only one of the eight people in hiding who survived the war.
The events of August 4, 1944, are a somber reminder of the perils faced by Jewish people and others during the Holocaust. Anne Frank's diary, recovered by Miep Gies after the arrest, provides a poignant and enduring account of her life in hiding, offering a unique personal perspective on this dark chapter of history.
For more information on Anne Frank and the Secret Annex, visit the Anne Frank House website.