How Old Was Anne Frank When She Wrote Her Diary?

Anne Frank received her red-and-white plaid diary as a gift on her 13th birthday on June 12, 1942, and began writing in it that day. The diary became her confidant, a place where she could express her innermost thoughts and feelings during a time of immense uncertainty and fear: Anne, who was Jewish, lived in the Netherlands, which had been occupied by the Germans since 1941 during World War II.

Anne’s diary entries began shortly before her family went into hiding in the “secret annex” of her father’s business in Amsterdam. This was a time when Anne, along with her family and four other Jews, lived in constant fear of discovery by the Nazis. Anne’s writings describe their life in hiding and also reflect the typical concerns of a teenager, such as her relationships with her family and her aspirations for the future.

Anne continued to write in her diary until she was 15, with her last entry written on August 1, 1944. Three days later her family’s hiding place was discovered by the Gestapo, and all of the inhabitants were taken into custody. Her father, Otto Frank, was the only one that survived the war. He was given Anne’s diary by a friend who had managed to save some of the items from the secret annex. The diary, published as Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (originally in Dutch, 1947), became a classic of war literature. Her words have touched countless lives, offering a poignant glimpse into the life of a young girl during one of history’s darkest periods.