Amsterdam - Diary of Anne Frank; compare to Prague child-diarist, Petr Ginz

 Anne Frank

Anne Frank is a familiar diarist, a child writing in hiding during the German occupation in World War II, and finally being sent to her death in Auschwitz. See, one out of many resources, www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/af/htmlsite/. She lived with enforced silence around her every day.

A young adult, Etty Hillesum, also kept a diary, as did others. See Netherlands Road Ways, Anne Frank and Etty Hillesum, diarists.Another child also kept a diary, Petr Ginz in Prague. See Places of Petr Ginz; and Petr Ginz: Lens and Legacy.

This is to encourage countries to cross-reference the places and writings of diarists in WWII, in their own museums and reconstructed houses. There are many. Give us a map, with pins even.

They all differ in the environments and concerns they had before the War, and during, until their deaths. Each offers another side to the prism.

Petr Ginz was far more objective than Anne in describing his daily life, but then again, he was still in the middle of his life's activities. Anne was already isolated.

He lived with his family openly in their home, conducting a daily family and school life as far as the Occupation and devastation would or would not permit. His entries lay out the mechanics of progressive intrusions, deportations, and deprivation. He also was killed at Auschwitz, at age 16.
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Dusni Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue, Prague. The surroundings of child diarists in WWII, here Petr Ginz
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We know few of the places that Anne Frank loved in Amsterdam. She was locked in. By contrast, Petr's diary is alive with city happenings, and references to events.

Here, for example, is the portal of the Spanish Synagogue in Prague, the "Dusni" Synagogue (it was located on Dusni Street) where Petr watched property being removed by the Nazis. Diary at Page 49. Did they read, shalt not steal.

Anne saw none of the daily violences of Occupation.

Read his full diary in the 2007 book, The Diary of Petr Ginz 1941-1942, edited by his sister, Chava Pressburger who also includes an introduction and some entries from her own diary. This was translated from the Czech by Elena Lappin, Atlantic Monthly Press 2007. The many sides of experience, and how people cope.