Deutscher Kreis: Anne Frank - A History For Today

The story of Anne Frank is a reminder of the terrible consequences of Holocaust that took the lives of six million Jews. The traveling exhibition called “Anne Frank – A History For Today” brings the story of Anne Frank’s life to the attention of a worldwide audience encouraging them to reflect on dangers of racism and discrimination.

From January 28 until February 1, the exhibition was on display at the Goethe Institute and entrance was free. Today the year is 2015, and this little girl’s life is immortalized in print, in the form of her diary which speaks of innocence, the unity of family, love, goodness and hope. For where love flourishes, hope remains.

The exhibition is especially directed towards young people. Youngsters served as guides to the exhibition. A two-day training prepares them for this responsibility. Nimaya Manudewa, Mekala Dandeniya, Irudini Liyanage and Methma Ranaweera were trained as peer guides by Ms.Priya Machado , Ms. Loes Singels and Aaron J Peterer from the Anne Frank House, Netherlands. They learn about the content and background of the exhibition, the best way to present the information to their peers and how to make contemporary topics discussable. These activities provide a non-formal space for dialogue, where people can express themselves and reflect on both their shared history and collective future.

Anne Frank was in hiding for two years. Her diary is a story about the persecution of Jews. She was a German Jew and she fled to the Netherlands with her parents. During the stay in the Secret Annex (1942-1944) at the Prinsengracht 263, Amsterdam, Anne wrote her diary.

“The Diary dealt with what it meant to be confined. There were eight people and with eight people living in such a small space there were little irritations. She was a normal teenage girl who was confined to this small space. It was a

time of fear.To keep the memory of the brutality and horror of the Holocaust alive, the Anne Frank House made this travelling exhibition to go to all different countries. The exhibition consisted of 32 panels with pictures and information on the life of Anne Frank.