The day after his return, Otto went back to Prinsengracht 263. His notebook does not mention whether he looked around the emptied-out Secret Annex. In his diary, he noted on 12 June: ‘Anne’. She would have turned 16 that day. Over one month later, Otto met with Lien Brilleslijper. She told him about Anne and Margot’s deaths in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. It was a pitch-black day for Otto.

Terugreis Otto Frank: terug in Amsterdam

Otto Frank woont in bij Jan en Miep Gies

Otto Frank verhuist samen met Jan en Miep Gies

The deaths of Anne and Margot

Out of the eight people from the Secret Annex, Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father, was the only one to survive the Holocaust. This is the story of his return from the Auschwitz concentration camp to Amsterdam. This reconstruction is based on Otto’s notes and other testimonies and documents. Click through the slides for the story and on the markers for more information.

Bevrijding Otto Frank

Otto Frank herstelt in ziekenzaal

The liberation of Auschwitz

A long and uncertain journey

Terugreis Otto Frank: Katowice

Overlijden Edith Frank

A school in Katowice

A sad encounter

Edith's death

Terugreis Otto Frank: Tsjernivtsi

A warm reception in Chernivtsi

Terugreis Otto Frank: Odessa

Weeks of waiting in Odessa

A protest telegram

Aboard the ‘Monowai’

Terugreis Otto Frank: met de Monowai naar Marseille

Terugreis Otto Frank: Roermond en Arnhem

The national anthem in Marseilles

Back in Amsterdam

Anne’s writings

Otto Frank tussen de helpers, Amsterdam, augustus 1945.

The return of Otto Frank