July 6
Anne Frank Family Enters Secret Annex in Amsterdam
With deportation looming for their teenage daughter, the Frank family moved at dawn into a hidden annex above Otto Frank’s Amsterdam business, aided by loyal employees who would sustain them in secrecy for more than two years.
Summary
In Nazi-occupied Netherlands, systematic deportation of Jews to labor and concentration camps began in 1942. Otto Frank had prepared a hidden annex above his Opekta business offices at Prinsengracht 263 for his family. On July 5, Anne's sister Margot received a call-up notice for a German work camp, forcing the family to accelerate their plans. Early on July 6, the Franks left their home with the help of trusted employees including Miep Gies, telling neighbors they were fleeing to Switzerland. They moved into the three-story secret space concealed behind a bookcase, where they would remain with four others for over two years. Anne began documenting daily life in her diary shortly after arrival.
Context
By the summer of 1942 the German occupation of the Netherlands, which had begun in May 1940, had produced a tightening web of anti-Jewish decrees. Jews were barred from many professions, schools, and public spaces; their property was registered and later seized. In January 1942 the first systematic round-ups for forced labor began, and by July the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Amsterdam was issuing call-up notices for “work camps” in Germany, the first step toward mass deportation.
What Happened
On 5 July 1942 Margot Frank, Anne’s older sister, received one of the earliest such notices ordering her to report for labor service. Otto and Edith Frank had already prepared a three-story hiding place in the annex behind their Opekta offices at Prinsengracht 263, intending to move on 16 July. The call-up forced them to advance the plan by ten days. Early the next morning the family left their apartment on the Merwedeplein, telling their subtenant they were fleeing to Switzerland and leaving a note for neighbors about their cat.
Aftermath
The four Franks reached the annex with the help of Miep Gies and other trusted staff who had prepared supplies. A movable bookcase concealed the entrance. Anne began writing in her diary within days, recording the cramped quarters, the need for silence during working hours below, and the constant tension. Within weeks the Van Pels family joined them, followed later by Fritz Pfeffer, bringing the total to eight people sustained by six helpers who risked their own lives to bring food, news, and encouragement.
Legacy
After the annex was betrayed in August 1944, only Otto Frank survived the war. Miep Gies recovered Anne’s diaries and notebooks; their publication in 1947 as Het Achterhuis introduced millions of readers to a young girl’s account of persecution and resilience. The building at Prinsengracht 263 is now the Anne Frank House museum, visited by more than a million people annually, and the diary remains one of the most widely translated and taught documents of the Holocaust.
Why It Matters
The hiding episode produced Anne Frank's diary, one of the most widely read firsthand accounts of the Holocaust, which has educated generations about persecution and resilience. It exemplifies civilian resistance networks that saved lives amid Nazi occupation while underscoring the personal toll of genocide.
Related Questions
Why did the Frank family decide to go into hiding?
Margot’s call-up notice for forced labor made immediate action necessary; the family had already prepared the annex but moved ten days ahead of schedule.
Who helped the Franks while they were in hiding?
Six trusted employees and associates, chiefly Miep Gies, Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, and Bep Voskuijl, supplied food, news, and moral support at great personal risk.
How long did the family remain in the secret annex?
They stayed just over two years, from 6 July 1942 until their arrest on 4 August 1944.
What became of Anne Frank’s diary?
Miep Gies recovered the notebooks after the arrest; Otto Frank published them in 1947, and the diary has since been translated into dozens of languages and read by millions.
Where exactly was the hiding place located?
It occupied the rear annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam, entered through a landing above the Opekta offices and concealed behind a movable bookcase.
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Sources
- The Frank family goes into hiding, Anne Frank House. Accessed 2026-07-01.