EN

Margot Frank receives a call-up

Margot received a call-up to report for transport to Germany. This prompted the Frank family to immediately go into hiding.

Event

July 5, 1942

52.345283 N 4.900967 E

Merwedeplein 37-II

Amsterdam

On Sunday, 5 July 1942, a call-up was delivered at Merwedeplein 37-II for Margot Frank, originating from the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung. Anne wrote in her diary: '(...) at about 3 oçlock a policeman arrived and called from the door downstairs, Miss Margot Frank, Mummy went down and the policeman gave her a card which said that Margot Frank has to report to the S.S.'[1] The call-up was possibly written on a small green card, but its exact content is unknown.[2] According to Ilse Ledermann-Citroen, the recipients of these call-ups had to report to the Gestapo the next day (6 July 1942) between 8:00 and 9:00. Most likely, she was referring to the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung at Adama van Scheltemaplein 1. There, they had to fill out a form and were then given notice to come to the train station (it's not clear which one) on 15 July 1942 at 2.30, supposedly for 'employment in Germany'.[3]

The Frank family did not respond to the call-up and decided to go into hiding immediately.[4] Preparations for this had already been made.[5] Miep Gies took Margot to Prinsengracht by bicycle in the early morning of 6 July 1942. The sources on this show slight differences between them:

  • Diary A: 'Margot went too with a satchel on her bicycle (...)'.[5]
  • Diary B: 'Margot stuffed her schoolbag with schoolbooks, went to get her bicycle and, with Miep leading the way, rode off into the great unknown'.[6] That Margot still had her own bike is very likely.
  • Miep Gies in an interview: At seven o'clock she picked up Margot. Around seven-thirty they were at the Opekta office. They put the bicycles inside and went upstairs. She opened the door of the Secret Annex and pushed Margot inside.[7]
  • Miep Gies in her book: She picked up Margot around 7.30 in the morning and took her via Waalstraat, Noorder Amstellaan, Ferdinand Bolstraat, Vijzelstraat, Rokin, Dam and Raadhuisstraat to Prinsengracht. She took her to the Secret Annex and left her there. Kleiman came a little later and took Margot's bike somewhere.[8]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 8 July 1942, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  2. ^ Heinz Wielek, De oorlog die Hitler won, Amsterdam: Amsterdamsche Boek- en Courantmaatschappij, 1947, p. 144.
  3. ^ Ilse Ledermann-Citroen aan Paul en Lientje, in: Letters from the Ledermanns, eigen beheer m.m.v. Yad Vashem, 2016, p. 10; Abel J. Herzberg, Kroniek der Jodenvervolging, 1940-1945, Amsterdam: Querido, 1985, p. 139.
  4. ^ Menno Metselaar, 'The day before going into hiding', in: Anne Frank Magazine 1999, p. 14-17.
  5. a, b Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie, (AFC), Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_071: Otto Frank aan Alice Frank en overige familie, 8 juni 1945. Otto schrijft 6 juli, maar hij vergist zich een dag.
  6. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 8 July 1942, in: VThe Collected Works.
  7. ^ AFS, Getuigenarchief, Santrouschitz: Interview met Miep Gies, 1992, deel 3, p. 17.
  8. ^ Miep Gies & Aison Leslie Gold, Herinneringen aan Anne Frank. Het verhaal van Miep Gies, de steun en toeverlaat van de familie Frank in het Achterhuis, Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 1987, p. 92-94. 

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