In the garden of UN Headquarters, next to 1st Avenue, stands a very special tree. Planted five years ago, the tree is descended from the horse chestnut tree that grew behind the annex where Anne Frank’s family hid from the Nazis from 1942 to 1944. The tree is a living memorial to Anne Frank and victims of the Holocaust.
Today marks the 95th year since Anne Frank was born. When she turned 13, she received a diary for a gift. Shortly after her birthday, the family would move into the annex. The diary became a place for Frank to confide her hopes and dreams, her fear and anguish as her world grew increasingly closed.
Anne Frank did not survive the Holocaust. Neither did 1.5 million children.
Frank’s diary and writing – published posthumously and translated into over 70 different languages, is often the first, and in some cases, the only, exposure many have to the Holocaust. Her writing has reached far beyond the attic in which she and her family hid, to touch and inspire readers around the world.
Commemorating Anne Frank’s legacy means remembering the heroic actions of Miep Gies, her husband Jan Gies, and trusted colleagues and friends Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, Bep Voskuijl and Johan Voskuijl, who risked their own lives to shelter and help her and the others hiding in the secret annex.
After Anne Frank and her family were betrayed and deported, Miep Gies safeguarded Anne's writings. Of the seven people who hid in the annex, only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived. When it became clear that Anne was not returning, Miep Gies gave Otto his daughter’s writings. By protecting the vulnerable and preserving truth, Miep and the helpers exemplify quiet but profound resistance to Nazi oppression.
We invite you to visit the tree in the garden - a living memorial to the legacy of Anne Frank and those who helped her. It is a reminder to counter hatred and racism.
