How Long Was Anne Frank in Hiding and What Happened?

How Long Was Anne Frank in Hiding during World War 2?

When Anne Frank and her family went into hiding on Monday, July 6, 1942, they had no idea that they would stay there without going outside once for two years.

The Secret Annex

Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father, had created a Secret Annex at the back of his business of which the entrance was hidden behind a bookcase. They were only planning on going to the hiding place on the 16th of July, but Anne’s sister, Margot had received a call-up notice and the family decided to go into hiding immediately. The place was not quite ready and curtains had to be hanged quickly so neighbors could not see them. All the time they were not allowed to go outside or open the windows or curtains. The Secret Annex was large enough to house two families, and 8 people were hiding there during that time.

Discovery

Anne Frank and the seven other people in hiding were discovered on August 4, 1944 after living in hiding for 25 months. An anonymous tipster had alerted the Nazis on their location. After being arrested, Otto Frank was the only one of the eight that survived the Holocaust.

This post is part of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany. Click here for our comprehensive information resource on the society, ideology, and key events in Nazi Germany.

Additional Resources About Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany: Politics, Society, and Key Events

Josef Mengele: What Were the Human Experiments?

Concentration Camp: What And Where Were They?

Nazi Germany – SchutzStaffel SS

PODCAST: EYEWITNESS HISTORYWorld War 2 Veteran Talks Fighting In The Battle Of The Bulge, Concentration Camp Liberation, And So Much More!