Uncovering Secrets: 11 Fascinating and Lesser-Known Anne Frank Fun Facts You Simply Must Know

1. Anne's Fictional Pen Pal

Whoa, Kitty: the Anne Frank edition! Turns out our favorite diary girl was pen pals with a character from an entirely different book: Anne Frank addressed many letters in her diary to a fictional character named Kitty, who originally hailed from the Joop ter Heul series by Cissy van Marxveldt – and while Anne did dream up a few other imaginary pals, her BFF-ship with Kitty outlived them all.
Source => annefrank.org

2. Extreme Minimalist Hideout

Hiding spot or extreme minimalist studio apartment? The Frank family practiced stealthy real estate living at its finest: Anne Frank and her family hid in a cramped, poorly lit annex for two years, with barely sufficient food and ventilation, always tiptoeing around the constant threat of Nazi discovery.
Source => annefrank.org

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3. Otto Frank: Spice Guru

While Otto Frank might be described as the original Spice-Girl, with his zesty passion for chili peppers and the sizzle he brought to the world of spice trading, his choice to hide in the Secret Annex was far less spicy: In reality, it was a life-saving decision made in the face of growing antisemitism, persecution of the Jewish community, and the looming threat of concentration camps in Nazi Germany and the Netherlands.
Source => annefrank.org

4. Anne's Icy Encounter

Not your average ice cream date: Anne Frank and her friend Lies enjoyed ice cream together in Amsterdam during Nazi occupation, unaware that a future barbed wire fence would separate them in a concentration camp where they'd both meet their tragic ends.
Source => cliffsnotes.com

5. From Starlet to Writer

Before "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", there was the jaw-dropping life of one Dutch teenager: At 13 years old, Anne Frank dreamt of becoming a famous actress, but during her two years in hiding from the Nazis, she discovered her passion for writing and aspired to be a writer and journalist instead, crafting her famous diary which she intended to publish as a book about her harrowing experiences.
Source => annefrank.org

6. Axe-Wielding Hiders

Talk about a close shave – with an axe: In April 1944, Anne Frank and her fellow hiders successfully deterred warehouse burglars by employing their finest battle cries, makeshift weaponry, and ultimately, Hermann van Pels swinging an axe to ward off the intruders, avoiding potential discovery and a call to the police.
Source => annefrank.org

7. Lockless Diary Lover

Talk about breaking the stereotype on commitment issues: Anne Frank actually preferred her diary to NOT have a lock on it! In her entry from June 20, 1942, she stated her desire for a diary sans lock, so she could pen her thoughts at whim, starting with her first entry just two days after receiving the red-checked diary on her birthday, June 14, 1942.
Source => annefrank.org

8. Unfiltered Anne

Whoever said diaries are just for teenage angst clearly never read Anne Frank's: She not only spilled the tea on those hiding with her, including her crush on Peter van Pels, but she also threw some shade at her parents' marriage and got candid about sexuality. Still, when her father Otto Frank got his hands on the pages, he tightened the reins, making editorial decisions and hesitating to publish certain parts of Anne's unfiltered musings.
Source => historyextra.com

9. Tree Fan Club Chronicles

In a way, Anne Frank's diary was like a newsletter for a very exclusive tree fan club: the white horse chestnut tree, found in the Secret Annex's courtyard garden, was over 170 years old before it fell in 2010. But this majestic arbor celebrity lives on through its saplings, distributed all over the world to sprout into young trees that continue the legacy of the comforting natural wonder Anne admired during her time in hiding.
Source => annefrank.org

10. Original Diary Makeover

In a classic case of "don't judge a book by its cover, or even its original translation": the first English translation of Anne Frank's diary, published in 1952, underwent some serious makeovers by Anne's father, Otto Frank. For instance, in this version, the dentist Fritz Pfeffer (aka Alfred Dussel) was married to a Christian woman – spoiler alert, she was actually Jewish and survived the war! Also, some of Anne's criticisms of Dussel were strategically left on the editing room floor. But worry not, dear readers, recent editions of the book have restored these excised tidbits, giving us a more complete look into Anne Frank's world.
Source => nwhyte.livejournal.com

11. Secret Bookcase, Hold the Onions

If you've ever found yourself in a pickle, you'll appreciate the gusto it took to build a secret entrance behind a bookcase – fortunately without onions getting in the way! Quite the literary facade: Johan Voskuijl, an employee at the warehouse where Anne Frank and her family hid, built a hinged bookcase in August 1942 to conceal the entrance to the Secret Annex. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't crammed with pickled onions but was kept empty to ensure a smooth escape route.
Source => annefrank.org