StMU Research Scholars

Featuring Scholarly Research, Writing, and Media at St. Mary’s University

October 1, 2018

A Father’s Love: The Publication of the Diary of Anne Frank

Winner of the Fall 2018 StMU History Media Award for

Best Article in the Category of “World History”

Parents’ love for their children is unlike any other. It is something I think most of us often take for granted due to the fact that it is something we just cannot understand until we experience it ourselves. Our parents go to great lengths to ensure not only that we have everything we need, but that we are happy, safe, comfortable, and accomplished. The relationship between a father and his daughter, specifically, is one that in most cases is extremely strong and unlike any other. A father is the first boy in a girl’s life and he is there every step of the way. Fathers usually embody warmth and safety, and many even say that girls subconsciously look for significant others that remind them of their father. This case was no different for Otto Frank and his daughter Anne. She was always “daddy’s little girl.” Otto loved her, as well as the rest of his family, as deeply as anyone could ever ask of a father. He worked hard, always providing for them, and made every sacrifice necessary to keep his family from harm in such a terrifying time. Sometimes though, bad things happen to good people. When his family slipped through his fingers and his world shattered, Otto’s love never wavered. He took his grieving and turned it in to something beautiful. He was an outstanding father until the day he died, even if his fatherhood was slightly untraditional.

Cover of the Diary of Anne Frank. | Photograph by Anonymous. | 1942 | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Anne Frank always wanted to be a writer, and her father was, of course, her biggest supporter. So, it was no surprise that for her thirteenth birthday, he gifted Anne a brand new, red-checkered journal that she would name “Kitty.”1 Anne grew up during a difficult time in our world: Nazi Germany. In 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, the family, being Jewish, decided to relocate to Holland.2 For a while, life in Holland carried on as normal. But, in 1940, Anne’s sister Margot got a call from a Nazi soldier that scared the entire family.3 Since the Frank family was Jewish, they had to live out the war with great caution as well as in great fear. Almost immediately after the phone call from the soldier, Otto Frank, being the caretaker that he was, found an annex in his office building for his family to hide in, in attempts to avoid Nazi capture. Even in hiding, Anne continued to use her journal. In fact, in hiding is where she got the most use out of it. She wrote about everything that happened in the annex, from random events that occurred throughout the day to her own very personal thoughts. That diary displayed Anne in her truest form. Sadly, the life in the annex that they had become accustomed to came to a screeching halt. On August 4, 1944, Otto’s worst nightmare had come true; after over two years in the annex, the entire Frank family was captured by the Nazis, split up, and sent to various concentration camps.4 Otto Frank was left feeling like he had failed. They did not know if they would ever see each other again, or even if they would make it out alive.

When the war ended, the Frank family was devastatingly reduced to one member: Otto Frank. When he heard the news that he would never see the rest of his family again, Otto was devastated. As time passed, the broken-hearted father finally found it in him to return to the annex, where he met with Miep Gies. Miep was one of the family friends who had helped ensure the Franks were well fed and surviving as best they could while in the annex. She presented Otto with his daughter’s diary, which she had carefully saved in the bottom drawer of her desk in hopes of the girl’s return.5 Before they had been captured, every night Anne had left her diary under the protection of her father and placed it by his bed in a briefcase. She asked him never to look into it, and Otto never dared go against his beloved daughter’s wishes. When the diary had come back into his possession, he was torn. Knowing Anne wanted nothing more than to be a published writer, Otto was faced with a difficult decision. Reading the diary meant going against her wishes. Leaving it untouched not only meant the loss of her legacy, but also the loss of any chance at making Anne’s dreams of becoming a writer come true.

“Otto Frank and Miep Gies in the Secret Annex in conversation with Miep, 9 May 1958.” | Photograph by Ben van Meerencok. | May 9, 1958 | Courtesy of Flickr

Otto decided to read the diary. The notion of being able to fulfill his daughter’s dreams and ensure her legacy was enough to get him to break out of his comfort zone. He believed in his daughter and her writing skills and just knew he could make something of the diary. However, it seemed that reading the diary almost put him in more of a debacle. “It took me a very long time to read it,” Otto said, “and I must say I was very much surprised of what deep thoughts Anne had.”6 Not only was he not sure what he should do next with the book, but he was now unsure if he really knew who his daughter was. “Her seriousness, especially her self-criticism; it was quite a different Anne than I had known as my daughter.”7 The diary was personal, and at times even taboo. She wrote about going through puberty, her shortcomings as a person as well as her sins. She, however, tried to keep a light within her bleak words as she insisted on wanting to be happy despite what was going on in her life.8 The Franks shared the bunker with the Van Pels family. The Van Pels had a son, Peter, who was not too far from Anne’s age. Understandably, considering her age as well as enclosed living space, Anne developed feelings for Peter, which she, of course, documented in detail within her diary.9 Otto was still at war with himself. He was worried about what people might think of his family if they read the truths Anne spoke. Could he let the world see his daughter so vulnerably? Could he withstand the responses that would surely come out in publishing the diary? Was he making the decision about him, rather than Anne?

Selflessly, Otto put any personal feelings he had aside. He loved his daughter and missed her dearly. He wanted her dreams to come true even if she would not be there to see it. Out of love, he decided to go forth and publish the diary. Otto spent long hours typing up the diary and sent the first copy to his mother, and the next few to close family friends. As word of the diary got out, publishers got hungry and offered Otto many opportunities to make it into a professionally done book. When he finally took up the offers of one publisher, the first version of the diary was published. It was titled “Het Achterhuis,” or “Secret Annex,” and excluded almost 30% of her the writings from her diary.10 This decision was meant to keep some of her privacy, as well as the family’s privacy, protected. The director of the publishing company felt that Anne spoke “too freely” about her sexuality and pushed to get rid of several passages.11 Either way, it was out in the world to be read by the masses and Anne’s dream of becoming published had finally been fulfilled. It was bittersweet for Otto, seeing the amazing success his daughter had become, but not being able to see her.

Photograph of Anne Frank in 1940, while at 6. | Unknown photographer. | 1940 | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

As years went on, the diary was published in many different versions in many different languages all over the world. It has had one of the most profound and lasting impacts of any book in our culture. In seventy years, the book has been translated into over seventy languages, making it one of the most translated books in the world.12 Otto didn’t stop there. For him, Anne’s legacy reaching to the world meant everything to him. He worked tirelessly on new versions of the book. After its publication, it became critically acclaimed by many influential people, such as Nelson Mandela. On top of that, there have been numerous film adaptions of the book since. In 1963, Otto founded the Anne Frank Fond (a foundation) in memory of his beloved daughter. The foundation’s one job is to spread Anne Frank’s word. It holds all copyrights and works to keep her life on paper safe.13 He took the great devotion he had for Anne and fathered her legacy from the ground up. He found a way to be a father to Anne in the physical world despite the fact she had left it.

Otto Frank was a man overflowing with love and support for his family. He went above and beyond to provide for them and keep them under his protection for as long as he could. No words can even begin to explain the pain of losing a child, much less two, along with a wife, and all due to the same reason at the same time. Yet, Otto pushed through all that hurt and turned it in to something beautiful. He gave back to the world even when it had taken everything from him. He constantly relived the life of his daughter, despite how undoubtedly hard it was, in assurance that she would become everything she was meant to be and more. A father’s love is indescribable, and Otto Frank was the perfect embodiment of the great lengths it will go to please its children.

  1. Anne Frank Stichting, “The History of the Diary,” Anne Frank House, April 19, 2010, http://diary.annefrank.org/the-history-of-the-diary/.
  2.  Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2013, s.v., “Anne Frank,” by Nancy D. Kersell.
  3.  Encyclopedia of Women’s Autobiography, 2005, s.v. “The Diary of a Young Girl,” by Gary Kerley.
  4. Francine Prose, Anne Frank: the book, the life, the afterlife (New York: Harper Perennial, 2010), 63.
  5. Francine Prose, Anne Frank: the book, the life, the afterlife (New York: Harper Perennial, 2010), 71.
  6. The Legacy of Anne Frank, The Eternal Light (1967, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and NBC), television program.
  7. The Legacy of Anne Frank, The Eternal Light (1967, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and NBC), television program.
  8. Encyclopedia of Women’s Autobiography, 2005, s.v., “The Diary of a Young Girl,” by Gary Kerley.
  9.  Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017, s.v. “Frank, Anne.”
  10. Encyclopedia of Women’s Autobiography, 2005, s.v., “The Diary of a Young Girl,” by Gary Kerley.
  11. Anne Frank Stichting, “The Story of Anne Frank: Anne Frank’s Diary Is Published,” Anne Frank House, April 19, 2010, http://web.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/Publication-of-the-diary/Anne-Franks-diary-is-published/.
  12. Anne Frank Stichting, “The History of the diary,” Anne Frank House, April 19, 2010, http://diary.annefrank.org/the-history-of-the-diary/.
  13.  “Work of the Anne Frank Fonds,” Anne Frank Fonds, http://www.annefrank.ch/work-and-purpose.html.

Tags from the story

Anne Frank

Holocaust

Otto Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank

Recent Comments

Paola Arellano

I am extremely close to my father and can vouch for the idea that my father was my first love in a way. I look up to him up to this day and seek his protection. My father as well feels as though he needs to provide and protect my family which is why I cannot imagine the situation that Otto was in. He most likely felt hopeless and not being able to get his family out of a life and death situation. I think that the article of this article did a great job of highlighting the feelings that Otto Frank was feeling as any father would not be able to overcome those emotions. To be able to tell such a horrific story and read word for word what his daughter was feeling and allow the rest of the world to do so as well must of been extremely hard. I can say that it is one of the most brave acts and I can say that my dad would love me enough to do the same and meet all of my expectations even if I was not able to live them myself.

reply

04/02/2019

7:39 am

Averie Mendez

Although I’ve always known her name, I never got the chance to read about Anne Frank in high school, so this article was a very interesting read for me. It makes me so sad that Otto Frank had to live the rest of his life without his family. I’m glad he decided to publish her diary, even if it went against her original wishes, because Anne Frank undeniably became one of the many faces of the infamous holocaust.

reply

04/02/2019

7:39 am

Rebeca Escobar

I feel so much for her father; it would hurt so much to lose your entire family to such a horrendous chain of events. Anne Franks story is so widely known and it’s interesting to have a first person point-of-view of what life was like living in hiding during the holocaust. It’s relieving to know Frank found a manner in which to express herself and way for her to “escape” her current situation. She is so widely known throughout history, and it’s intriguing to be in the mind of someone like her.

reply

10/02/2019

7:39 am

Emily Velazquez

I knew of the story of Anne Frank and her diary, but I loved how this article focused on the love that her father had and showed for his family. The story was truly great. The length that he was willing to go to make sure his daughter got the publication she had always wanted even though she would not be able to see it was honorable. From that, one can tell how devoted he was to proving how much he loved and cared for his daughters and wife.

reply

15/02/2019

7:39 am

Sharriah Martinez

I remember reading bits and pieces of Anne Franks Diary. It was used mostly in my 7th and 8th grade history courses. During this time, I was able to truly understand different parts of the Holocaust. The diary allowed us to feel the emotion of real people and see their perspectives. This allowed us to then feel emotions towards this historical event and not just have a one sided story. This Article allowed me to see the measures Anne Franks father went to see her Diary published. The publishing of this article was important in many many ways. I am so grateful for the effort and determination he put into seeing this succeed.

reply

17/02/2019

7:39 am

Amariz Puerta

I loved reading this article I knew a lot about Anne Frank, by reading and researching. When traveling I always loved to look at the Holocaust museums, but by reading this it really made me just focus on Anne Frank and her diary. The publication was interesting and I did not know she lived with the Van Pels family while in the Annex. Loved reading this article

reply

20/02/2019

7:39 am

Maria Martinez

Growing up many of my school courses taught us the story of Anne Frank and her family, we would even read versions of her diary. But I had never heard or even looked into the story of how the diary was published and the story of Otto Frank. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain he as a father and husband went through when hearing the news that his family was no longer here. The fact that he was faced with such a difficult choice of reading the diary to publish it or not is crazy and it just goes to show what a father would do for his daughter. The diary really served as an influential piece of literature that gave a different perspective of such a tragic time in history.

reply

24/02/2019

7:39 am

Priscilla Reyes

I can only imagine how hard it was for Otto to place his daughter in such a vulnerable position but he had his best interest at heart. To begin, he gifted her that journal and it is precious that she let him take care of it. This was not permission for him to publish it, but it was history and it is precious to this day. The author of the article could not have said it better. Sometimes bad things happen to good people…

reply

02/03/2019

7:39 am

Bianca-Rhae Jacquez

I love that you decided to pick this topic. I think that even though it was hard for Otto to place his child in this situation, but he did if for her safety. I think that it may have been wrong for him to publish the diary but since he did do it, this diary has become one of the most important pieces of history.

reply

03/03/2019

7:39 am

Thomas Fraire

Growing up a large number of my school courses showed us the tale of Anne Frank and her family, we would even peruse renditions of her journal. In any case, I had never heard or even investigated the narrative of how the journal was distributed and the tale of Otto Frank. I can’t start to envision the agony he as a dad and spouse experienced when hearing the news that his family was never again here. The way that he was looked with such a troublesome decision of perusing the journal to distribute it or not is insane and it just demonstrates what a dad would accomplish for his little girl. The journal truly filled in as a persuasive bit of writing that gave an alternate point of view of such a heartbreaking time ever.

reply

03/03/2019

7:39 am

1 2 3 4 7

Leave a Reply

StMU Research Scholars

A student organization of St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines.