The Anne Frank Tree - A Living Memorial to Anne Frank’s Legacy
A special sapling was planted in the garden of United Nations Headquarters in New York in June 2019. 2019 marked the 90th year since Anne Frank’s birth. The sapling, now grown to a tree, is a living memorial to the legacy of Anne Frank.
The tree, donated to the United Nations by the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, is descended from the horse chestnut tree that grew outside the annex in which the Frank family sought refuge from the Nazis from 1942 to 1944.
Anne Frank had received her diary on her 13th birthday. A few weeks later, the Frank family was forced into hiding to escape the antisemitic measures of the Nazis. The diary became a place for Anne to confide her hopes and dreams, her fear and anguish.
Of the eight people who had hidden in the annex, only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived the Holocaust. Returning to the Netherlands, he discovered that Anne’s writings and diary had been saved by Miep Gies, a friend who had helped the family while in hiding. In the subsequent decades, Anne’s writings have been translated into over 70 languages, and millions of copies have been published across the world.
Anne's diary is often the first, and in some cases, the only, exposure many have to the Holocaust. Her name has become synonymous with the call for an end to antisemitism, prejudice, and for a just and peaceful world in which human rights are respected.
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme was established by , to “mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide”. Through its remembrance and education activities, the Programme ensures that the living memorial of Anne Frank's legacy continues to inspire reflection, learning and action against hatred in all forms.
The Anne Frank tree at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Credit: The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme
Videos:
In tribute to Anne Frank and the 1.5 million children who were murdered during the Holocaust, eight young people read the diary entry that 15-year-old Anne wrote in her Diary while in hiding from the Nazis, weeks before the family was betrayed and arrested.
In June 2024, at a special remembrance event on Anne Frank at United Nations Headquarters, New York, 13-year-old student Blake Appelbaum read excerpts from Anne Frank’s diary and reflected on the importance of keeping history alive.
Special Remembrance Events:
Interview:
13 June 2019:
Press Release:
12 June 2019:
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme unveiled the commemorative plaque for the Anne Frank tree on 12 June 2019.
Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten