Anne Frank at the Joods Lyceum
Anne Frank attended the Jewish Lyceum in Amsterdam from 15 October 1941 to 6 July 1942.
Anne Frank attended the Jewish Lyceum in Amsterdam from the beginning of the 1941-1942 school year until she had to go into hiding on 6 July 1942.
After sixth grade, Anne was actually supposed to stay at the 6th Montessori school for a seventh year, but due to anti-Jewish measures, she had to be transferred to a Jewish primary Montessori school. It was then decided that she could go on to middle school anyway. She was accepted at the Jewish Lyceum.[1]
However, according to Anne, her admission was not without controversy:
"After a lot of back and forth, discussions and consultations, it had come together after all, that I would go to the Jewish Lyceum and after a few more phone calls even without an entrance exam."[2]
And:
"(...) I was accepted to the Jewish Lyceum on a conditional basis. I was supposed to stay in the seventh grade at the Montessori School, but when Jewish children were required to go to Jewish schools, Mr. Elte finally agreed, after a great deal of persuasion, to accept Lies Goslar and me".[3]
Anne thus entered class 1L2 of the Jewish Lyceum in the school year 1941-1942. The first day of class was on 15 October 1941.[4] Her classmates were:
- Beer, Joseph de
- Blitz, Nanette
- Bloemendal, Betty
- Blom, Leon H.E.
- Bonewit, Emiel
- Cohen, Robert Maurits
- Coster, Maurice Simon
- Duyzend, Leni
- Erlichman, Zunia
- Gomes de Mesquita, Albert
- Goslar, Hanneli
- Jong, Eefje de
- Joseph, Werner
- Kokernoot, Jacques
- Koopman, Herman Louis
- Lobatto, Miep
- Maarsen, Jacqueline van
- Metz, Henriette Rebecca
- Pimentel, Maurits Pim
- Praag Sigaar, Nannie van
- Reens, Appie
- Salomon, Samuel
- Schaap, Harry Max
- Slager, Leo
- Springer, Sallie
- Stoppelman, Ru
- Velde, Max van der
- Wagner, Ilse
- Zajde, Danka
Anne - like Hanneli Goslar and Stella Lek - was tutored by Martin Premsela.[5] He was a French teacher[6] and came from the Girls' High School.[7] According to one of Anne's stories, she and Hanneli had caused an incident in one of Premsela's French lessons. There had been a lot of cheating going on during a test, and Hanneli had be unable to keep quiet about it. Anne and Hanneli were then called 'betrayers' by the class. Together they wrote a penitent letter to the class.[8] Anne was taught from the book 'Frans voor de Middelbare School. Woordenlijst bij het eerste leerboek' (French for Secondary School. Glossary to the first textbook). This book has been preserved. The left-hand side of the cover reads: Jewish Lyceum 1941-1942. Anne Frank.[9]
Aaron Keesing was a teacher of mathematics, physics and mechanics.[10] Anne was told by Keesing several times to write an essay as punishment for chattering too much. The first time the given topic was 'A Chatterbox', the second time 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox', the third time 'Quack, Quack, Quack Said Mistress Chatterback'.[11]
The PE teacher was Josephina Maria Monasch.[8] According to Anne, she arranged for Hanneli to join her in the first class.[4]
Anne was taught biology by Miss Biegel. 'Een Biologie-les' (A Biology Lesson) discussed the cheating incident during French again, when Miss Biegel intercepted a note from Rob Cohen that read 'Betrayer'.[12]
Anne was taught from the history book Beknopt leerboek der geschiedenis van het Vaderland by De Boer and Presser. She wrote her name and the note Jewish Lyceum 1941-1942 in it. This textbook has been preserved.[13]
The famous portrait photo of Anne dates back to the period at the Jewish Lyceum.[14]
On 6 July 1942, Anne's school career came to a forced end as she and her family had to go into hiding.
Footnotes
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 16 June 1942, in The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019. . According to the B Version, 5 July 1942, this was conditional.
- ^ Anne Frank, Tales and events from the Secret Annexe, "My First Day at the Lyceum", 11 August 1943, in: The Collected Works.
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 5 July 1942, in: The Collected Works.
- a, b NIOD Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust- en Genocidestudies, W.H.S. Elte (toegang 181e), inv. nr. 1, rector Joods Lyceum aan de inspecteur voor de Lycea, 10 oktober 1941.
- ^ Dienke Hondius, Absent. Herinneringen aan het Joods Lyceum Amsterdam, 1941-1943, Amsterdam: Vassallucci, 2001, p. 80.
- ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart M.J. Premsela.
- ^ Gedenkboek ter gelegenheid van het 25-jarig bestaan van het Gemeentelijk Lyceum voor Meisjes te Amsterdam en het afscheid van Dr Magrita J. Freie als rectrix van deze school, Amsterdam, 1950, p. 33.
- a, b Anne Frank, Tales and events from the Secret Annexe, "Do You Remember?", in: The Collected Works.
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_AFrank_VII_004: Frans voor de Middelbare School.
- ^ Hondius, Absent, p. 290.
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 21 June 1942; Tales and events from the Secret Annexe, "A Maths Lesson", 12 August 1943, in: The Collected Works.
- ^ Anne Frank, Tales and evens from he Secret Annexe, "A biology lessson", 11 August 1943, in: The Collected Works.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_AFrank_VII_006: Beknopt leerboek der geschiedenis.
- ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_AFrank_III_012: Portretfoto van Anne Frank op het Joods Lyceum, zittend aan een tafeltje met boek.