Today was our fifth day in the Netherlands, and we got to learn about some important historical figures throughout our day. I started my morning with some mini pancakes, peach yogurt, and sliced meats before heading to the local coffee shop down the street. At the coffee shop I ordered a Mochaccino, and I really enjoyed it.
After breakfast, our group headed to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. While I have heard Anne Frank’s story before, I was very interested in taking a deep dive into what led up to her situation, and how they survived in the annex for two years. I learned that Otto Frank, Anne’s father, attempted to immigrate the family to the United States but was denied. The family then decided to go into hiding when Anne’s older sister was called to report to a camp, and they lived in hiding for two years before they were discovered and arrested. While in hiding, Anne used writing as an escape from her situation. She kept a diary, and she also wrote fictional short stories and short stories about events that took place in the annex. Additionally, she rewrote her diary entries into a book called “The Secret Annex”. The frank family of four and another family of four lived in the annex, but only Otto Frank survived the holocaust.
Visiting the Anne Frank House led to a lot of reflection, and I think it painted a picture of the strength of the Jewish people throughout the holocaust. Anne Frank wanted to be a journalist, and despite living in hiding for two years, she still worked to practice her craft through her diary and short stories. Furthermore, while touring the museum I learned about all of Otto’s work to preserve their story. He helped to create a scale model of the annex for use in films, and he seemed to have a lot of input in the layout and content of the museum. Despite everything he had gone through, he still worked very hard to ensure their story would not be lost to time.
After visiting the Anne Frank House, I visited Albert Cuyp, an outdoor street market. I ordered some noodles from a street vendor for lunch, and I purchased some souvenirs. The market was bustling with activity, and it was very neat to see all of the different vendors selling items from many different cultures. I have heard multiple times now that Amsterdam is a cultural melting pot, and I think this market did a great job of demonstrating that. I then ended my day with a trip to the Van Gogh Museum, which I found to be incredible. The museum did a great job of demonstrating how his art changed throughout the different stages of his life, and it was neat to see so many famous works in person. I am looking forward to having dinner with some Pitt alumni who live in the Netherlands tonight, and I will share more updates soon!
