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Edith Frank-Holländer's education

After primary school attended the Lyceum of the Evangelical Viktoriaschule.

Subject
Fotocollectie: Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam.

Klassenfoto met Edith Frank-Holländer (midden, achterste rij) bij het verlaten van de Viktoriaschule, in Aken, 1916

Fotocollectie: Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam. Copyright: Publiek domein.

Viktoriaschule

Like her older brothers Julius and Walter and elder sister Betti, Edith Holländer first attended the Jüdische Volksschule (Jewish People's School) in Aachen.[1] She then, like her sister Bettina, attended ten classes at the Lyceum of the Evangelische Viktoriaschule (Evangelical Victoria School), also in Aachen. At this girls' school, a liberal spirit prevailed at the time; the pupils included many girls of Catholic and Jewish persuasion. Some of Edith's female cousins also went to this school. Edith was taught Jewish religion by Dr Heinrich Jaulus.[2] He attended Edith and Otto's wedding in 1925.[3]

Edith was taught Religion, German, French, English, History and Art History, Geography, Arithmetic and Mathematics, Physics, Drawing, Needlework, Singing (optional) and Gymnastics.[4] Edith left the Viktoriaschule by the end of April 1916, but it is unknown whether she finished school with a final examination.[5] Possibly she started working in her father's business in Aachen right after leaving school.

Dutch lessons

Nothing is known about how and to what extent Edith mastered the Dutch language when living in Amsterdam.[6] Books belonging to her that have survived are in German and French. In letters to Gertrud Naumann, Edith did write about Margot and Anne's progress in the Dutch language, but not about her own.[7]

Edith did occasionally write in Dutch, as some documents show. Around August 1934, she wrote a reference for Renate Wolf: "We hereby confirm that Miss Renate Wolf is employed by us. Salary NLG 5 per week for ½ day. Mrs Otto Frank Merwedeplein 37 II".[8] And in 1935 she wrote extensive congratulations in Dutch on the occasion of the birth of a son of the Hofhuis family, friends of the family.[9]

According to Anne, her mother spoke very poor Dutch. In her diary, she writes:

"Please bear in mind, Kitty, that the two ladies here speak outrageous Dutch (I wouldn't dare say anything about the gentlemen, they would be very offended), if you heard that mess you would laugh; we don't even pay attention to it anymore, it doesn't help anyway. When I write about mother or Mrs v. P., I won't use the original language but proper Dutch."[10]

English lessons

At Viktoriaschule English was part of the regular curriculum. In the Netherlands, Edith was taught English by Rosey Pool.[11] Otto Frank described Rosey Pool to Nathan Straus as an 'English lady, who lived here before the war and shortly after the war and is now living in London. I know her personally and she gave lessons to Edith and knew the children.'[12] According to Anne, Edith also learnt English through written courses while in hiding.[13]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Holger A. Dux, 'Zur Geschichte der Vorfahren der Anne Frank in Aachen', in: Winfried Casteel & Yvonne Hugot-Zgodda (Red.), Beiträge zur Geschichte des Nationalsozialismus in Aachen, Aachen: Volkshochschule Aachen, 2012, p. 3.6/7. Voor de Joodse school, zie: Wege gegen das Vergessen Aachen 1933-1945, "Jüdische Schule"
  2. ^ Adressbuch Aachen 1914 und Umgebung. Unter benutzung amtlicher Quellen I, Aachen: J. Stercken, 1914, p. 749.
  3. ^ Aachener-Frankfurter Tageblatt, Famliearchief Anne Frank-Fonds, Bazel, Alice Frank, AFF-AlF- pdoc 9.
  4. ^ Deze lessentabel is gebaseerd op het rooster van Edith's voorlaatste lyceumjaar in 1914. Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), afd. Collecties, Documenten naar taxonomie, Edith Frank, Opleidingen: Mail Hans-Jürgen Serwe aan Erika Prins (AFS), 6 mei 2015.
  5. ^ AFS, afd. Collecties, Documenten naar taxonomie, Edith Frank, Opleidingen: Mail Hans-Jürgen Serwe aan Erika Prins, 6 mei 2015.
  6. ^ Zowel Rosa Hartog-Groenman als A.C.M. Huijsmans-Douwes hebben verklaard Nederlandse les aan Edith gegeven te hebben. Deze beweringen zijn omstreden en vinden geen steun in andere bronnen. Anne Frank Stichting (AFS) Getuigenarchief, Groenman-Hartog, Rosa & Huijsman-Douwes, A.C.M.
  7. ^ AFS, Anne Frank Collectie (AFS), reg. code A_Getuigen_I_087, 090-4: Edith Frank aan Gertud Naumann, "Donnerstag" (ongedateerd) en "Dienstag" (= 26 maart 1935).
  8. ^ Privébezit Judy Showers: handschrift Edith Frank op achterzijde van getuigschrift voor Renate Wolf op Opekta-papier, getekend door Victor Kugler, d.d. 7 augustus 1934. Judy Showers is de dochter van Renate Wolf.
  9. ^ Privécollectie: Edith Frank aan Bep Hofhuis, 30 juni 1935.
  10. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version B, 2 September 1942, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  11. ^ AFS, Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_132: Otto Frank aan Vallentine Mitchell and Co., 22 november 1950.
  12. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_154: Otto Frank aan Nathan Straus, 22 november 1950. Rosey Pool maakt later een Engelse vertaling van het dagboek die echter niet werd gebruikt wegens gebrek aan kwaliteit.
  13. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 16-19 May 1944, in: The Collected Works.