Otto Frank

Otto Heinrich Frank (May 12, 1889 - August 19, 1980) was the father of Anne Frank.

Related Topics:
May 12 - 1889 - August 19 - 1980 - Anne Frank

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Born into a banking family in Frankfurt-am-Main, he was stationed at the Western Front during World War I, and promoted to lieutenant in 1918. He married Edith Holländer on 12 May 1925 in Frankfurt-am-Main and their first daughter, Margot Frank was born on 16 February 1926, followed by Anne Frank on 12 June 1929.

Related Topics:
Frankfurt-am-Main - World War I - Lieutenant - Edith Holländer - 12 May - 1925 - Margot Frank - 16 February - 1926 - Anne Frank - 12 June - 1929

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1933 he moved his family to Aachen and finally to Amsterdam to escape the increase of anti-Jewish measures implemented by the Nazi party in Germany. There he established a branch of Opekta, selling pectin for use in jam-making.

Related Topics:
1933 - Aachen - Amsterdam - Nazi - Germany - Pectin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He went into hiding with his family and four other people in 1942 in the upper rear rooms of his office premises, where they remained, aided by his colleagues, for two years until they were betrayed. Their arrest by the Gestapo sent them to the Dutch transit camp Westerbork and to Auschwitz where Otto was separated from his wife and daughters, who subsequently died in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. He was liberated by Soviet troops on January 27 1945 and conveyed back to the Netherlands over the next six months.

Related Topics:
1942 - Gestapo - Westerbork - Auschwitz - Bergen-Belsen - January 27 - 1945 - Netherlands

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After his return to Amsterdam, and the discovery of his daughter Anne's death, he was given her diaries, which were rescued by Miep Gies from the hiding place after their arrest. He set about transcribing them and in 1947 the first Dutch edition was published.

Related Topics:
Miep Gies - 1947

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He married a former neighbour and fellow Auschwitz survivor, Elfriede Geiringer-Markovits (1905 - 1998), in Amsterdam on November 10 1953, moved to Basel, Switzerland and devoted the last decades of his life to promoting Anne Frank's message of tolerance and compassion.

Related Topics:
1905 - 1998 - November 10 - 1953 - Basel - Switzerland - Anne Frank

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~