EN

Margot Frank and Latin course with Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen (LOI)

Margot took a written course in Latin through Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen. ​

Event

Nov. 2, 1943

52.37521 N 4.884335 E

Prinsengracht 263

Amsterdam

Nederland

Collectie Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam

Les 17 van de LOI-cursus Latijn die Margot Frank volgde op naam van Bep Voskuijl, 11 maart 1944

Collectie Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam Copyright: Publiek domein

In late 1943, Margot began a written Latin course through Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen (LOI).[1] She took the course under the name Elly Voskuijl.

She chose a pace of one lesson per week, to pay per month in advance, and she wanted to keep the teaching materials afterwards.[2] On 2 November 1943, LOI sent the acknowledgement of receipt of Margot's application.[3] The course lasted about 1 year and cost NLG 7.50 a month.[4]

Anne wrote about this in her diary on 3 November 1943:

"To take our minds off matters as well as develop them, Father ordered a catalog from a correspondence school. Margot pored through the thick brochure three times without finding anything to her liking and within her budget. Father was easier to satisfy and decided to write and ask for a trial lesson in "Elementary Latin". No sooner said than done. The lesson arrived, Margot set to work enthusiastically and decided to take the course, despite the expense. It's much too hard for me, though I'd really like to learn Latin."[1]

Anne also writes in her diary that her father 'joined in' with Latin.[5] She also wrote: "The Latin lessons Margot sends in are corrected by a teacher and returned.The teacher, a certain A.C.Nielson is very nice, and witty too. I expect he is glad to have such a clever pupil.'[6]

The teacher was very appreciative of Margot's work. In subsequent lessons, he wrote comments:

  • Lesson A2: Your work is outstanding! [7]
  • Lesson 7: You have revised very well and can now move on with no problem.[8]
  • Lesson 8, the first lesson of the year 1944: May the noise of war remain far from you.[9]
  • Lesson 9: Excellent work. Kudos for your translation of Hannibal's portrait. I take pleasure in your superb work! [10]
  • Lesson 13: Exquisite, as always.[11]
  • Lesson 32: Excellent work! These were very difficult tasks.[12]
  • Lesson 37 (the last one, stamped with the correction date 1 August 1944): Well philosophised and well translated! [13]

On 10 August 1944, Bep Voskuijl wrote to LOI that she could not continue participating in the course. She requested deregistration.[14] On 14 August 1944, the LOI proposed to Bep that the course be temporarily suspended and possibly resumed at a later stage.[15] On 11 June 1945, Bep wrote to the LOI that the course had actually been for a woman in hiding (Margot).[16]

When the diary was published, Otto Frank sent a copy to Margot's Latin teacher at  LOI, Mr Nielson: "(...) You took great care with the lessons, which gave great satisfaction to my daughter Margot, even though you did not know the pupil, with whom you corresponded under the name Voskuyl."[17]

Nielson replied:

"(...) During the war, hundreds of people in hiding, often in the most remote places, attended our classes. How much good such an institution such as Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen can do has never been more evident than in the years behind us. I keep hundreds of letters from this time as precious reminders of the many lonely and frightened people in hiding, to whom my lessons brought comfort and culture in an often highly unintellectual environment."[18]

Footnotes

  1. a, b Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 3 November 1943, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  2. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code: A_MFrank_I_060: Afschrift aanvraag tot inschrijving bij de cursus Elementair Latijn.
  3. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_064: Bevestiging ontvangst van aanvraag tot inschrijving voor de cursus Elementair Latijn.
  4. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_055: "Prospectus voor de opleiding tot de MO examens Moderne Talen en voor Talenstudies zonder examendoel".
  5. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 11 November 1943, in: The Collected Works.
  6. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 17 November 1943, in: The Collected Works.
  7. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_074: Correcties les A2.
  8. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_079: Correcties les 7.
  9. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_080: Nieuwjaarswens onder correcties les 8.
  10. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_081: Correcties les 9.
  11. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_085: Correcties les 13.
  12. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_104: Correcties les 32.
  13. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_109: Correcties les 37.
  14. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_068: Handgeschreven briefje.
  15. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_069: LOI aan Bep Voskuijl.
  16. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_MFrank_I_071: Bep Voskuijl aan LOI.
  17. ^ AFS, AFC, Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_100: Otto Frank aan A.C. Nielson, juni 1947.
  18. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_100: A.C. Nielson aan Otto Frank, 17 juli 1947.