Survival and Suffering: The Frank Family Holocaust Experience

The Experiences of the Frank Family

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, six million European Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Within the six million was a famous family that had only one survivor. This family was the Frank family. The Frank family faced many difficulties due to the rise of Hitler. Experiencing hardships in their early life led to the decision that the Frank family made about going into hiding. At first, Otto Frank was very successful in life before the rise of Hitler. However, the Frank family faced many issues in Germany until they felt that they needed to move. Lastly, the Franks' living conditions in Amsterdam were stable before the invasion of the Nazis.

To begin, Otto Frank’s life before the Nazi

regime was rewarding and prosperous. For example, after graduating college, Otto Frank was offered different work opportunities. According to the Biography.com Editors, “. . . Frank would further exhibit his business acumen by establishing the Opekta Company and appointing himself its director. Two years later, he would set up a second company, Pectacon”(1). A few weeks after his business, he went to work at a local bank and in a Macy's department store, before returning back to Germany to fight for World War I. He was sent to battle, receiving the rank of lieutenant. After World War I, he returned back to the family bank that was being run poorly by his younger brother. By 1925, Otto Frank married Edith Hollander, a daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Her father was a member of the Jewish community, so Edith maintained a kosher household and attended synagogues. In 1929, they had two daughters, Margot and Anne Frank. All in all, Otto Frank had many successful jobs and got married.
Secondly, with a start of a new life, the Franks began to face hardships. After the end of World War I, Germany began to face economic issues with the other countries. With very little power, the President needed a new leader that was capable of handling the job of helping Germany with its losses. As a result, “On January 30, 1933, Hindenburg, President of the Reich, appointed Hitler Chancellor of the Reich, and as early as April 1 a boycott against the Jewish population came into force. SA commandos occupied the entrances to Jewish department stores and shops, and prevented access to law firms and medical practices owned by Jewish citizens”(“Before the Second World War” 1). Losing these jobs, rights, and privileges to the Nazis, the Franks decided to move to Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Amsterdam, they were able to have a stable life until the Nazis went to invade the Netherlands. Hence, as the Nazi era began, the Franks began to face difficulties in their everyday lives.
Lastly, the Franks’ life in Amsterdam was peaceful and stable before the Nazis invaded the Netherlands.

For instance, after moving to the Netherlands, Anne Frank was able to have a strong childhood and went to school with many friends, but, “On May 10, 1940, the German army invaded the Netherlands, defeating overmatched Dutch forces after just a few days of fighting”(Anne Frank Biography 1). As they slowly moved in, they began to enforce rules for the Jews. The rules included curfews, restrictions on business, and all Jews were required to wear the Star of David. A few weeks after the Nazis took over, Margot, the oldest daughter, received a summon to a concentration camp in Germany. Taking the summon as a warning, Otto Frank took his family and a few other Jewish friends to hide in the Secret Annex, a makeshift quarter. Therefore, the invading Nazis that forced the Dutch forces to surrender ended the Franks’ time of peace.

In conclusion, the Franks were inspired to go into hiding by the hardships and difficulties they had faced. First, before the Nazis regime, Otto Frank had a successful life. Next, after experiencing life in Germany, the Frank family decided to move away from the Nazis. Lastly, the Frank family had peace in the short time that they lived in Amsterdam until the Nazis took over. Even though the Franks had to move several times because of the Nazis, they were able to have peace each time they moved. During the time of peace, the Franks had an untroubled life. They decided to hide in an attempt to stabilize

peace.