How Anne Frank and Others Were Discovered during World War II

The discovery of Anne Frank and the other occupants of the Secret Annex during World War II remains a mystery shrouded in uncertainty. Various theories have been proposed over the years, but concrete evidence is rare. This article explores the circumstances that led to their arrest and considers the possible reasons behind their discovery.

Theories and Speculations

The exact circumstances of how Anne Frank and her family were discovered are not definitively known. The Frank family, along with four others, were betrayed, leading to their arrest by the Nazis. The identity of the person or persons who betrayed them remains uncertain. Various theories suggest that someone in the building where they were hiding or an individual in the Dutch resistance might have revealed their location. Some accounts propose that an anonymous caller tipped off the authorities.

The Suspicion Factor

If I walked around the building where the Franks were hiding, I’d probably be fooled completely. However, other people who had access to the building would have noticed some oddities or changes that may have made them suspicious. Just the presence of a hostile individual who was opposed to Jews could have resulted in a call to the Gestapo, as one person could easily say, “There's something you need to check out.”

Newly Proposed Theory

There is a new theory that Anne Frank was discovered by accident after a raid to find illegal employment and fraud with ration coupons. This theory suggests that during routine police actions aimed at uncovering fraud, they accidentally stumbled upon the occupants of the Secret Annex.

Anne Frank’s Clue from Her Diary

Even the Anne Frank Stichting, with the help of a specialist cold case team, cannot definitively answer the question of who betrayed the occupants of the Secret Annex. However, Anne herself might have given us a clue in her dairy. It was near the end of the war when the Allies were reported to be moving in that direction, and there was a mood of confidence that the war was almost over. Anne's family managed to obtain some fresh strawberries and celebrated, but she noticed something foolish when she ate them in front of an open window during the day. The diary abruptly ends shortly thereafter, and this could indicate that her family might have seen more immediate danger than she realized at the time.

Occupants' Living Conditions

Anne Frank and her family, along with another family and a single man, were very well hidden. Otto Frank, who owned the property and created the hiding place using the attic of the building where his pectin business was located, managed to create a hiding place that was a virtual palace compared to the hiding places of other Jews during the Holocaust. However, the occupants could not use running water, a functional toilet, or electricity during the day. The space was confined, and they could not walk around or move very much at all, as Otto Frank's pectin business continued to operate under the watchful eyes of the workers. Any unusual noise or activity would have given them away.

Final Days and Aftermath

The SS started offering larger and larger rewards for the whereabouts of hidden Jews as the war ground on. It was thought that this might have led to a warehouse worker being present in the property after business hours, unbeknownst to those in the Annex. He heard noises that tipped him off, leading to the eventual discovery. Anne and her sister Margot died of typhus shortly before their camp was liberated. Edith Frank, the rest of the family, and the single man all died in the gas chambers. Otto Frank was the only survivor. When he returned to Holland...