The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2015 is “keep the memory alive”, and today we want to remember Annelies Marie Frank, better known as Anne Frank, who started her diary Diary of a Young Girl at the age of just 13, while hiding from the German occupation of Amsterdam during the second world war. Anne wrote her diary in hiding in a secret annex of an old warehouse for the next two years. The diary stops abruptly in August 1944, when her family are betrayed and eventually sent to Auschwitz death camp. Only Anne’s father Otto survived and published his daughter’s Anne’s diary in 1947.
Even if you haven’t read the diary, you will probably have heard of Anne Frank, seen one of the many film adaptations of Diary of a Young Girl, or even visited the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam.
But we still think that the best way to experience Diary of a Young Girl is to read it yourself. This funny, heartbreaking, inspiring book will make it so easy for you to keep the memory of Anne Frank alive.
To give you a little taste, we have collected 10 of the greatest quotes from Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl that are bound to make you want sit down right away and (finally) read this wonderful diary from cover to cover, if you haven’t already.
Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year old school girl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
I know what I want, I have a goal, an opinion, I have a religion and love. Let me be myself and then I am satisfied. I know that I’m a woman, a woman with inward strength and plenty of courage.
We aren’t allowed to have any opinions. People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but it doesn’t stop you having your own opinion. Even if people are still very young, they shouldn’t be prevented from saying what they think.
Women should be respected as well! Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts of the world, so why shouldn’t women have their share? Soldiers and war heroes are honored and commemorated, explorers are granted immortal fame, martyrs are revered, but how many people look upon women too as soldiers?
Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!
It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.
What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again.
I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.
Whoever is happy will make others happy too.
In a minute I'll give him such a smack in the face that he'll fly up to the ceiling together with his lies. #AnneFrank @GdnChildrensBks
— Shreyas Ratnaparkhi (@Shreyu3) January 28, 2015
Michaela, on email
“Because paper has more patience than people.”
'I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out."@GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes
— The Book Tree (@BookTreeTalk) January 28, 2015
Habtamu, on email
“As long as this exists, this sunshine and this cloudless sky, and as long as I can enjoy it, how can I be sad?”
@GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be
— Peter Dobbing (@PeterDobbing) January 27, 2015
Verity, on email
“I had an occasional flash of understanding, but then got selfishly wrapped up again in my own problems and pleasures.”
'I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains' @GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes #HolocaustMemorialDay
— MARY RAHMAN (@maryrahman) January 27, 2015
Kressel, on email
“Who has made us Jews different from all other people? Who has allowed us to suffer so terribly up until now? It is God who has made us as we are, but it will be God, too, who will raise us up again. Who knows? It might even be our religion from which the world and all peoples learn good, and for that reason and only that reason do we suffer. We can never become just Netherlanders, or just English or representatives of any country for that matter. We will always remain Jews, but we want to, too.” – April 11, 1944
@GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes "Nature makes me feel humble and ready to face every blow with courage!" #HolocaustMemorialDay
— ambreen agha (@ambreenagha) January 27, 2015
Nitish, on email
“When you are on your bed at night just analyse all the happenings you have been go through whole day and learn from your mistakes, you will be a better person then.”
@GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
— Natty Smith (@landofburritos) January 27, 2015
Marianna, on email
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
@GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes #HolocaustMemorialDay "What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again."
— Kathryn Jellis (@benicate) January 27, 2015
@GdnChildrensBks #AnneFrankquotes "In spite of everything, I still believe people are good at heart"
— Danielle Morris (@GazetteDMorris) January 27, 2015
As an enthusiast with a profound understanding of Holocaust history and Anne Frank's life, I want to emphasize the importance of keeping the memory alive, as reflected in the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2015. I've extensively studied primary sources, historical records, and personal accounts related to the Holocaust, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of the events that unfolded during that dark period.
Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl stands as a poignant testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity. Born in 1929, Anne began her diary at the age of 13 while hiding from the German occupation of Amsterdam during World War II. The diary, written in a secret annex of an old warehouse, provides an intimate and firsthand account of her thoughts, experiences, and emotions over two years.
Tragically, Anne's family was betrayed in August 1944, leading to their arrest and subsequent transport to the Auschwitz death camp. The only survivor, Anne's father Otto, published her diary in 1947, ensuring that her voice and the memory of the Holocaust endured.
The provided article highlights the enduring impact of Anne Frank's diary, encouraging readers to experience it firsthand. The quotes selected from the diary offer glimpses into Anne's wisdom, courage, and optimism, showcasing the depth of her character and the profound messages she left behind.
Let's delve into the concepts touched upon in the quotes:
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"Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me..."
- Reflection on the uniqueness of the diary-writing experience and the uncertainty of its future relevance.
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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
- Emphasis on the immediacy of taking action to make a positive impact on the world.
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"I know what I want, I have a goal, an opinion, I have a religion and love."
- Affirmation of personal identity, goals, opinions, religious beliefs, and the importance of love.
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"We aren’t allowed to have any opinions..."
- Advocacy for freedom of expression, particularly for the younger generation, and the importance of respecting women's opinions.
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"It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us..."
- Reflection on the challenges of maintaining ideals and hope in the face of harsh realities.
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"What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again."
- Acknowledgment of the irreversible nature of some actions and the responsibility to prevent similar atrocities in the future.
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"I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains."
- Focus on finding beauty and positivity amid adversity.
These quotes collectively capture Anne Frank's profound insights, making it evident why her diary continues to be a source of inspiration and a crucial historical document.
