Details on the financing of the period in hiding are scarce, mostly unclear in nature and thus not very useful for serious calculations. Therefore, this is only a global overview. There are, however, sporadic details on the financial position of the Frank and Van Pels families, and of Fritz Pfeffer in the preceding years. In addition, the diary provides information on household money issues. Ordinance VO148/41, which came into force on 8 August 1941, stipulated that Jews had to deposit their cash and cheques in excess of one thousand guilders with banking firm Lippmann Rosenthal & Co. They also had to deposit securities and balances and deposits at other institutions there.^[1] This was followed on 21 May 1942 by ordinance VO58/42, which required the surrender of jewellery and precious metals. A household was then allowed to dispose of 250 guilders per month.^[2] These measures are known as the first and second Liro regulations.

More people went into hiding: in addition to Jews, people sent to work in Germany who remained in the Netherlands after leave, and Dutch soldiers who wanted to evade captivity. All these people needed means of subsistence. Recent research suggests that in the first phase of the deportations, i.e. until May 1943, the Jewish category relied mainly on their own resources.^[3] Despite the harsh measures with which the German authorities organised the looting of Jewish property, self-employed people had more opportunities to set aside 'black' money for a clandestine existence. Anne's diary entries show this implicitly, although money shortages emerged during 1944.

Frank family

Otto Frank earned enough to live on with his family. In the 1938-1939 fiscal year, his income tax assessment was based on an income of 3,650 guilders.^[4] The rent for the house on Merwedeplein was 70 guilders a month including heating.^[5] In February 1933, according to an advertisement in the block, this was the cheapest option. By comparison, in the same year a doctor in Het Apeldoornsche Bosch earned 4,500 guilders plus free housing.^[6] According to data from Netherlands Statistics, the average income of an assessed person in that year was 2,150 guilders.^[7]

In 1941 and 1942, Otto Frank surrendered assets and bank balances worth some thirteen thousand guilders pursuant to the Liro regulations.^[8] Furthermore, he suffered financial losses by having to step down as director of Opekta. He received compensation of 4,800 guilders only after his return.^[9] In the summer of 1945, he informed Erich Elias that he had lent 135 guilders for hiding through Hans Goslar, which he had not yet been paid back.^[10]

So, although he was apparently still able to lend money, his economic position on the eve of going into hiding was not completely favourable. Anne writes in her 1944 diary (B version, with the date 13 January 1943) 'we supposedly eat our money.'^[11] Nevertheless, in early 1944 Otto and Edith planned to give Anne and Margot both five hundred guilders to take with them in the event of an evacuation of the western Netherlands. They themselves wanted to take one thousand guilders each.^[12] This would mean that at that point they still had three thousand guilders at their disposal, while Anne said there were also dollars.^[12] A few weeks later, the Franks wanted to sell a chest, but found the offer made for it of four hundred guilders too low.^[13] This indicated that their situation was not yet quite desperate. So either there had to have been a considerable clandestine reserve or the companies were able to furnish this cash.

At the time of the arrest, according to Otto Frank, Silberbauer asked for money and jewellery, which they then handed over.^[14] When asked, Silberbauer expressed himself in similar terms.^[15] This indicates that money and jewellery were still there in August 1944, although the value remains unknown.

Van Pels family

Hermann van Pels entered Otto Frank's service when the three thousand guilders^[16] with which he came to the Netherlands were completely exhausted.^[17] He ran a textile business with his brother-in-law Max Goldschmidt for some time,^[18] but what they made is unknown. At Pectacon he earned reasonably good money. According to Otto Frank, he and his family were able to live well from it, but were not able to save money.^[17] The family paid 75 guilders a month in rent, including heating.^[19] It is not known what financial consequences the liquidation of Pectacon had for Van Pels. When Peter talked to Anne about 'his life at home', he also mentioned black marketeering.^[20]

However, according to Anne's diary, Van Pels already had money problems by the end of 1942.^[21] He was the one who had the necessary contacts in the butchery world^[22] and thus had an important role in food supply. Friction arose between the Van Pels and Frank families over money and the distribution of food. According to Anne's diary, Van Pels lost a wallet containing 100 guilders.^[23] According to some notes, Van Pels was a heavy smoker.^[24] That must have been a considerable expense. Van Pels' evident need for money led to the sale of the lady's fur coat. It reportedly fetched 325 guilders.^[25]

Fritz Pfeffer

Upon his arrival in the Netherlands, Pfeffer revealed that he had assets of about four thousand guilders.^[26] Part of this consisted of depositary receipts on shares in General Motors.^[27] According to notes from the Amsterdam Aliens Department, he was initially supported by the Committee for Jewish Refugees and later by his father.^[28] Nothing is known about Liro payments. In the Secret Annex, he was de facto a kind of room tenant of the Frank family. He - like the Franks - still had regular access to distribution vouchers. Furthermore, he was a medic and a dentist, which of course was also a useful contribution.

It is not known what Pfeffer brought to the Secret Annex in terms of money or valuables, and what ended up at the Liro. According to Kugler when asked about valuables during the raid in the Secrat Annex, Pfeffer handed a roll of gold pieces to Silberbauer.^[29]

Income and expenditure

Otto wrote in his talk to Yad Vashem that Kugler sold goods without recording the proceeds, and could thus channel money to the people in the Secret Annex.^[30] The people in the Secret Annex also filled packets of gravy for Gies & Co.^[31] Anne's diary also reveals several times that they kept the books for the companies in the evenings.^[32] The companies had to pay the rent for the building anyway. Gies & Co. was the main tenant. Opekta contributed as a subtenant.^[33] Who paid for the electricity and fuel for the people in the Secret Annex is not known. It does appear that businesses and people in hiding helped each other in this way.

Other than that, therefore, most of their funds were derived by depleting their reserves. When Van Pels was already running low on funds in late 1942, Anne writes that her father still had money.^[34] About a year and a half later, however, she still had to acknowledge that "The bottom of our black moneybox is in sight".^[35] During a domestic argument, Edith expressed the opinion that 'everyone should live on their own money'.^[36] We do not know the amounts involved.

Despite little to no income, expenses continued during the hiding period. Food had to be bought, not to mention the fact that some of it required expensive clandestine vouchers. Anne writes that they bought 'country' coupon cards instead of 'city' coupons. These cost 33 guilders and were thus cheaper. Furthermore, the bread coupons of these could be resold, as baker Siemons supplied 'boneless' bread in exchange for lactose. Such bread coupons fetched 12 guilders a time.^[34] How many of these country coupons were bought and sold, and how long this arrangement lasted, is unknown. Over the entire period, it is possible to indicate what the set prices for all kinds of products were, but of course that does not mean that the helpers could always get them for those prices. Furthermore, the people in hiding would also clearly have needed money for clothing and fuel. There would also have been costs for the supply of library books and magazines brought by Kugler.

All official assets of Jews were taken away from them through Liro regulations and other measures. Since those in hiding were nevertheless able to furnish their shelters and provide themselves with food, it must be assumed as certain that all of them had managed to set aside money in one way or another. This money, then, had obviously not been remitted to the Liro.

When deportations began in July 1942, it was unclear how long the occupation would last. However, almost no one foresaw that it would be as long as it was. In many cases, funds dried up during 1944. If the claims of Otto Frank, Silberbauer and Kugler are correct, money and valuables were nevertheless still there when they were arrested.