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Holidays in Sils-Maria

The Frank family spent several holidays in Sils-Maria, Switzerland.

Subject
Vervaardiger onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam

Foto uit een album van Anne Frank, vakantie in Sils-Maria, Zwitserland, 1935

Vervaardiger onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam Copyright: Rechthebbende(n) onbekend

In July 1928, Otto and Edith Frank visited Sils-Maria in Switzerland. They were spending their holiday there with Otto's American childhood friend Nathan Straus Jr., his wife Helen Straus-Sachs and their four children. It is not known whether Margot Frank, then two years old, was with them or staying with relatives. There is one known postcard Nathan Jr. sent to Leni Elias-Frank, Otto's younger sister. On it he wrote that he had a good time together with Otto and Edith during their stay in Sils-Maria.[1]

In the 1930s, members of the Frank family were guests at Villa Lâret in Sils-Maria a few times. This was the holiday home of Olga Spitzer-Wolfsohn. She was a French cousin of Otto, who regularly received relatives and friends there during the summer months.[2] The earlier holiday in 1928 was probably not at Villa Lâret. Nathan Jr. wrote to Otto in 1950, saying he was surprised to learn that Olga Spitzer-Wolfsohn was related to him and that he would like to take a look inside the villa.[3]

Anne Frank went to Sils-Maria for a few weeks in June 1935, together with her grandmother Alice Frank Stern.[4] Two photos show Anne during this summer holiday.[5]

In the summer of 1936, Anne again went on holiday to Sils-Maria. This time she went along with her mother and sister. Whether Otto also went with them is not known. A photo exists that shows Edith, Margot and Anne together.[6]

In 1941, the German occupation of the Netherlands made it impossible for Anne and her family to travel to Switzerland. ‘How are you, is it nice in Sils-Maria? (...) is Sils still so beautiful?’ Anne wrote on 30 July 1941 to her grandmother, who did spend the summer there that year.[7]

After World War II, Otto visited Sils-Maria and Villa Lâret several times.[8]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Straus Historical Society, Ansichtkaart van Nathan Straus Jr. aan Leni Elias-Frank, 23 juli 1928; Joan Adler, 'Otto Frank and Nathan Straus Jr., Their Letters discovered at New York's YIVO', Straus Historical Society Newsletter, volume 9, 1, augustus 2007, p. 1-6.
  2. ^ Melissa Müller, Anne Frank: de biografie, 5e, geheel herz. druk, Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 2013, p. 97-98.
  3. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_154.1: Brief van Nathan Straus Jr. aan Otto Frank, 29 mei 1950.
  4. ^ Alice Frank-Stern send a postcard during this holiday to Gertrud Naumann: Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_Getuigen_I_109_01; A_Getuigen_I_109_02.
  5. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_AFrank_III_027.072; A_AFrank_III_027.073.
  6. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code A_AFrank_III_027.077.
  7. ^ Familiearchief Anne Frank-Fonds (AFF), Bazel, Alice Frank, AFF-AlF_Corr_18_18: Anne Frank aan Alice Frank-Stern, 30 juli 1941.
  8. ^ AFS, AFC, OFA, reg. code OFA_124.5: brief van Lambert Schneider aan Otto Frank, 20 juli 1950; OFA_18: Zakagenda Otto Frank 1961, 5 augustus 1961.