Anne Frank's Diary: The Making of an Urtext of the Holocaust

Historian Raphael Gross, Director of the German Historical Museum and co-editor of a new critical edition of Anne Frank’s diary, discusses the making and reception of a unique document in literary history. Neither a true diary that chronologically records the daily life and thoughts of its author, nor a work of fiction, the Diary of a Young Girl is an unfinished manuscript.

Adapted from diary entries in multiple stages by the young author herself – and posthumously by her father – it made Anne Frank into perhaps the most famous German- Jewish writer of the 20th century. Today, it is an unparalleled urtext of the Holocaust.

Against this background, the lecture will focus on the worldwide reception of the diary over almost eight decades. How was the edition of the text authorized by Otto Frank received in countries as diverse as Holland, Israel, the USA, Japan, Hungary, Spain, and the GDR? Which aspects of her notes were included? Which faded into the background? And what did the icon “Anne Frank” stand for in all these contexts?

This event will take place in person at the Center for Jewish History and will be followed by a reception. If you are unable to attend in person, the event will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube.

Raphael Gross is the President of the Foundation Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin.

Before assuming the role in 2017, he served as the Director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture and held the Chair of Jewish History and Culture at the University of Leipzig. Previously, he headed the Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt am Main, (2006-2015); the Fritz Bauer Institute, Frankfurt am Main, (2007-2015); and the Leo Baeck Institute, London, (2001-2015); as director.

Raphael Gross is a historian and the author and editor of numerous books on German-Jewish history and the Holocaust. Many of the exhibitions he initiated explore these and related topics.

In May 2023 Raphael Gross was mandated to evaluate the provenance research of the Foundation E. G. Bührle in Switzerland. He presented his report to the public in June 2024.