Anne Frank House Annual Report 2014

Transcription

1 Anne Frank House Annual Report 2014 The Anne Frank House is an independent organisation dedicated to the preservation of the place where Anne Frank went into hiding during the Second World War, and to bringing the life story of Anne Frank to the attention of as many people as possible worldwide with the aim of raising awareness of the dangers of anti-semitism, racism and discrimination and the importance of freedom, equal rights and democracy. The complete report: Origin Canada 2014: 2% 2013: 3% Anne Frank House 2014 Netherlands 2014: 11% 2013: 11% United States 2014: 16% 2013: 16% United Kingdom 2014: 14% 2013: 13% France 2014: 6% 2013: 6% Germany 2014:10% 2013: 9% Australia 2014: 2% 2013: 3% Japan 2014: 3% 2013: 3% Brasil 2014: 5% 2013: 4% Numbers Spain 2014: 5% 2013: 5% Italy 2014: 5% 2013: 5% Israel 2014: 3% 2013: 3% Educational programmes 1033 educational programmes (409 elementary schools, 624 secondary schools) Annual Report 2014

2 Foreword This year marks the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Measured in time, the distance to the war becomes ever greater, but interest in it only seems to grow. We see that reflected in our visitor numbers, which increase year by year. Forty percent of our visitors are aged under 25. Thanks to an extra contribution that we received this year from the BankGiro Lottery, we will be able to carry out a redesign of the museum in which the broader context of the Second World War and the Holocaust, and the history of the period in hiding, can be linked together in a way that is engaging for younger generations while still remaining appropriate to the specific atmosphere of the Anne Frank House. For almost 55 years we have been successfully carrying out the mission entrusted to us by Anne s father, Otto Frank, which he expressed so well in one of his last interviews, in February 1979: The work of the Foundation is not restricted to the maintenance of the house. It also concerned with what happened during the dark years of the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews, and also with combating discrimination, prejudice and oppression in the world today. Acts of war and terrorist attacks make us only too aware that the demons of the past have not disappeared. Good education and information remain vitally important. We show young people how attitudes and prejudices work, and where exclusion begins. We help them understand where anti- Semitism and discrimination lead, and especially what they can do to prevent this. Last year, at the invitation of the Anne Frank House, fifty young Anne Frank Ambassadors from 27 countries came together in Amsterdam. The Anne Frank Ambassadors form a network of young people who, inspired by the life story of Anne Frank and the mission of the Anne Frank House, carry out educational projects in their own countries. It is wonderful to see how involved these young people are in the history of Anne Frank, and how they give it contemporary significance. This international youth conference is fully in keeping with Otto Frank s vision of actively bringing young people together to spread the message of Anne Frank s life story and ideals. In this annual report we look back on the aims we have set ourselves, and describe the activities we have carried out with the support of numerous individuals and organisations. I would like to offer every one of them my heartfelt thanks, and express the hope that we will also be able to rely on this support in the year to come. Ronald Leopold, executive director Amsterdam, April Annual Report 2014

3 Organisation Anne Frank s life story helps to make the fate of millions of victims of the Holocaust personal and comprehensible. It is a story that begins with prejudice and preconceptions: issues that still lead to anti- Semitism and other forms of discrimination, exclusion and persecution in all parts of the world today. Mission and aims The Anne Frank House works to preserve the Anne Frank House and the Anne Frank collection, and is an educational organisation. An important part of the life story of Anne Frank took place in the Anne Frank House. Mission The Anne Frank House is an independent organisation dedicated to the preservation of the place where Anne Frank went into hiding during the Second World War, and to bringing the life story of Anne Frank to the attention of as many people as possible worldwide with the aim of raising awareness of the dangers of anti-semitism, racism and discrimination and the importance of freedom, equal rights and democracy. Foundation The Anne Frank House was established on 3 May 1957, with the aim of preserving Anne Frank s hiding place and spreading the message of her life and ideals. Following a fundraising drive, restoration work began in 1958, and the Anne Frank House was officially opened as a museum on 3 May Otto Frank Otto Frank was closely involved in setting up the Anne Frank Foundation in He was a member of the management board of the Anne Frank House from 1961 to 1976, and subsequently a member of the board of governors until his death in The work of the Foundation is not restricted to the maintenance of the house. It is also concerned with what happened during the dark years of the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews, and also with combating discrimination, prejudice and oppression in the world today. Otto Frank, 24 February 1979, in the Basler Magazin 3 Annual Report 2014

4 Strategic aims The Anne Frank House continues to work on its educational mission in the spirit of Otto Frank. On the basis of our mission, we have formulated the following strategic aims for the period up to 2015: The opening of the Anne Frank House to the public and the care of its collections; The development and distribution of programmes and materials in which the life story of Anne Frank is disseminated, partly in the historical context of the Second World War and the Holocaust; The provision of information and education on anti-semitism and the Holocaust; The provision of information and education on discrimination and socio-political human rights, in order to promote the effective functioning of an open, pluralistic and democratic society. Management and organisation Our directors are responsible for the management of the Anne Frank House. They are appointed by the Supervisory Board, which supervises the policy of the directors and provides them with advice. In addition to the Supervisory Board, the Anne Frank House also has an Advisory Board, made up of representatives of various sections of society. The Advisory Board advises the Supervisory Board on issues that are decisive for the identity of the Anne Frank House. In effect, the Advisory Board acts as a sounding board of society. International partners The Anne Frank House works together with partner organisations in Argentina, Austria, Germany, the UK and the USA. They organise the placements of our international exhibitions in their country or region and carry out educational activities. Remuneration policy The Anne Frank House applies its own employment conditions package, and in principle adheres to the salary structure of the collective labour agreement for the museums sector. The positions on the Supervisory Board and the Advisory Board are unpaid. Employee council Since 2013 there has once again been an active employee council at the Anne Frank House. The employee council represents the interests of the organisation and its staff, and takes part in discussions on proposed organisational developments. 4 Annual Report 2014

5 Finance The Anne Frank House does not receive any regular government subsidies for the museum, and is dependent on museum visits for its income. We are also reliant on the support of funds, donors and grant-giving bodies such as the European Union and the Dutch government for the financing of major renovations in the museum and educational projects. Project support in 2014 The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport supported the development of educational projects in the Netherlands and a European Holocaust education project. The members of the Rabobank, through the Rabobank Amsterdam cooperative fund, contributed to the development of New Friends, an educational graphic novel aimed at combating prejudice. The SNS Reaal Fund also contributed to this project. We receive an annual contribution from the Province of North Holland for our educational activities. The Dutch embassies in Ankara (Turkey), Warsaw (Poland), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Rome (Italy), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and other cities supported the placement of our travelling exhibitions in their regions. The placement of the exhibition Reading and Writing with Anne Frank in Peru was made possible with the support of the Dutch embassy in Lima. The international development organisation HIVOS supported educational projects in Peru and Guatemala. The Open Society Fund supported the youth project Free2choose/Free2create in Hungary, and the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) supported this project in Tunisia and Berlin. The European Union supported a number of educational projects in the Balkans and Peru. Youth in Action supported the travelling Anne Frank exhibitions. ICCO, the Inter-Church Organisation for Development Cooperation, supported projects in Central America. IHRA, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, contributed to projects on remembrance education in Serbia. BankGiro Lottery The Anne Frank House has been a beneficiary of the BankGiro Lottery the cultural lottery of the Netherlands since 2007, receiving an annual donation of 200,000 euro. 5 Annual Report 2014

6 Financial Statement 2014 Balance on 31 december (before profit appropriation) Assets (in Euros) 31 dec dec A Non-Current Assets I Tangible fixed assets 1 Renovations (museum alterations) Inventory Machinery and equipment B. Current Assets I Inventory II Receivables III Accrued revenue IV Liquid assets Total assets Liabilities (in Euros) 31 dec dec C Equity Capital I General reserves II II. Destination reserves 0 0 III Non-allocated operating profit D Short-Term-Debts I Creditors II Payroll tax, social security contributions, insurance and pensions III Grants and project funds still available IV Accrued expenses Total Liabilities Annual Report 2014

7 Profit and Loss Statement (in Euros) actual figures budget actual figures (as of August) E Profit I Museum entry fees II Revenue from sales and/or services III Subsidies IV Revenue from projects and activities V Other revenue Totaal F Costs I Costs of goods sold II Personnel III Depreciation of fixed assets IV Projects and activities V Other costs Total Profit before financial income and expenses G Financial Income and Expenses I Interest received II Interest paid Profit from regular activities for tax purposes Tax payable Profit from regular activities after tax Annual Report 2014

8 Museum The Anne Frank House is a museum with a story. Visitors experience this story through quotations, photos, films and original artefacts such as the bookcase, the pictures in Anne s room and the diaries. Strategic aims and policy priorities The Anne Frank House is a high quality museum with a subdued atmosphere. It is an experiential museum as well as a place of remembrance. The power of the museum is encapsulated in the authenticity of the Secret Annexe and the diaries. Strategic aims The Anne Frank House wants to give the opportunity to visit the house to everyone who wishes to do so. The visitors must be able to empathise with the experience and the personal histories of Anne Frank and the other people in hiding. Developments and alterations in the museum will always be tested against their consequences for the experience of the visitor. The knowledge that is essential for a high-quality and historically reliable presentation of the life story of Anne Frank is generated by research. The preservation, care and display of the collection form the foundation of our activities. The Anne Frank House is the knowledge institution for the life and work of Anne Frank. Policy priorities in 2014 Our visitors will receive a hospitable welcome in a museum with a high-quality design that is well maintained, clean and safe. We must critically examine the facilities and service we offer our public. The possibility of a cloakroom will be explored and tested. The Anne Frank House is one of the most important museums in Amsterdam. We pay particular attention to visits by school students and residents of Amsterdam. A new programme that has been specially developed for pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) will be launched. A great deal of knowledge has currently been gathered on the building at Prinsengracht 263, including an inventory of all permanently fixed original elements. All original items in the building are included in an annual integrated conservation plan. In 2014 there was particular attention for the protection of the original bookcase. I think it is not only important that people go to the Anne Frank House to see the secret annexe, but also that they are helped to realise that people are also persecuted today because of their race, religion or political convictions. Otto Frank, 3 August Annual Report 2014

9 Anne Frank House An important part of the life story of Anne Frank took place in the Anne Frank House. The museum is the foremost place where the life story of Anne Frank is presented in an authentic and reliable way. Every year the museum receives over a million visitors from all around the world. In 2014 a record number of visitors was received for the fifth consecutive year; a total of 1,227,462 visitors. That is 32,006 more than the previous record year of 2013 (with 1,195,456 visitors). The majority of the visitors came from outside of the Netherlands, and around 140,000 were Dutch. Millionth visitor On 16 October the Anne Frank House received its millionth visitor of 2014; 80-year old Hilda Evens from Australia. I really wanted to see the Anne Frank House today, before I go home tomorrow, said Mrs Evens, who was in Amsterdam together with her daughter. Extended opening hours To give as many interested people as possible the opportunity to visit the museum, and to spread visitor numbers more evenly, the opening hours were extended following a trial period in The museum is now open every day from 9 AM to 9 PM for seven months per year, from 1 April to 31 October, and until 10 PM in July and August. In the other months the museum is open until 7 PM. Cloakroom test The Anne Frank House is a small museum with a large number of visitors. Because there is no cloakroom, visitors have to take their coats, bags and rucksacks with them into the museum. This is inconvenient for our visitors, and also has repercussions for the collection. For this reason we carried out a test with a temporary cloakroom for several weeks in The results were very positive, and will be followed up in more detail. 9 Annual Report 2014

10 It is devastating to know what we can do to one another but it is also exhilarating that human spirit can be indomitable. Thank you God for Anne and the inspiration she has provided. May we never treat others this way. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu from South Africa, 2 February 2014 Museum Night The annual Amsterdam Museum Night was held on 1 November, and the Anne Frank House once again took part. The museum was open until the small hours, with a special programme. On this Museum Night there was a special focus on the helpers of the people in hiding. In the museum café, visitors could have their photo taken for one of our banners, with a quotation by or about Anne Frank. Special groups In March and November the museum was opened on several evenings especially for residents of Amsterdam. A total of around a thousand Amsterdammers visited the museum free of charge, and followed a special 30-minute introductory programme. We will also be organising special open evenings for Amsterdammers in In November, a group from KUBES an arts and cultural organisation for blind and partially sighted people visited the museum. After closing time, the participants visited an empty secret annexe in small groups, with a guide, by torchlight. On 18 March the Anne Frank House was also specially opened in the evening, this time for a group of deaf and hearing-impaired people. The group were told the life story of Anne Frank with the help of an interpreter for the deaf, followed by a guided tour of the museum. Thank you for this extraordinary evening. Great initiative! It was very moving! Visitor from Amsterdam, on Twitter Free strawberries for visitors Saturday 8 July 1944 was a happy day for the people in hiding in the secret annexe. The helpers had managed to get hold of crates of strawberries; a stroke of luck. On Monday 5 May, Liberation Day in the Netherlands, we marked this happy occasion by handing out strawberries to visitors waiting in the queue. 10 Annual Report 2014

11 Exhibitions As well as the historic rooms, where the central focus is on the life story of Anne Frank, an interactive exhibition and a temporary exhibition which is changed each year are also on display in the Anne Frank House. The Helpers of the Secret Annexe The temporary exhibition The Helpers of the Secret Annexe was opened on 11 April The exhibition highlights the crucial role of the people who made it possible for Anne and those with her to remain in hiding. For over two years, day in and day out, Johannes Kleiman, Miep Gies, Victor Kugler and Bep Voskuijl sustained the eight people in the secret annexe. Miep s husband Jan Gies and Bep s father Johan Voskuijl also became involved in providing help. In the exhibition, artefacts, photos and a video show the helpers, how they went about providing help, and their motivation for taking on this dangerous task. In-depth information to accompany the exhibition is available online. The exhibition was made possible with the support of the BankGiro Lottery. Reflections on Anne Frank On 12 June, the 85th anniversary of Anne Frank s birth, a new video installation on the meaning of the life and work of Anne Frank was opened. In the installation consisting of three wall-to-wall projections authors, actors, politicians, visitors to the Anne Frank House and people who knew Anne tell of what her diary and life story mean to them. The installation invites visitors to personally reflect on the life story of Anne Frank, and to share their thoughts in a digital guestbook that was specially developed for this purpose. The only thing we have to remember is: all her would-haves are our real possibilities. All her would-haves are our opportunities. Emma Thompson, in Reflections on Anne Frank Educational programmes for young people Young people are a key target group for the Anne Frank House. In the museum, educational programmes are given for school groups from the Netherlands and around the world. Over 1,000 groups from primary and secondary schools followed educational programmes in Many groups from the Netherlands and abroad visited the museum, having booked an educational programme or an introductory programme in Dutch, English or German. A total of 1,885 group programmes were provided. Some of these were family programmes aimed at children of 10 years and older together with their guardians; often their parents and grandparents. 11 Annual Report 2014

12 Schools 409 primary schools followed educational programmes at the Anne Frank House, an increase of 10% in comparison with We also welcomed more secondary school groups than in 2013: 624 groups compared with 556 groups in 2013; an increase of 12%. You know that the educational work surrounding the secret annexe is very close to my heart. Otto Frank, 22 January 1976 Distribution of visits The majority of schools visit the Anne Frank House in the months of April, May and June. To encourage primary schools to visit outside of this high season, the Anne Frank House started a special promotion: primary schools that visited in November to March did not have to pay the costs of the programme. The promotion was a great success: in the 2013/2014 school year 194 primary school groups visited in the off-peak months, a 64% increase. Amsterdam schools The Anne Frank House finds it important that as many Amsterdam primary school pupils as possible have the opportunity to visit the place in Amsterdam where Anne Frank had to go into hiding during the Second World War. So in 2014 the All Amsterdam eighth graders to the Anne Frank House free of charge campaign was launched. From November to March, all children in their final year at Amsterdam primary schools could follow an educational programme and visit the museum completely free. The offer was taken up with great enthusiasm: 76 Amsterdam schools booked a total of 128 educational programmes for their eighth graders. Pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) programme Two educational programmes specifically for pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) were developed and launched in The programmes were extensively tested and attuned to the target group. The number of schools that booked a VMBO programme at the Anne Frank House was lower than expected, however. We are now exploring ways of reaching more VMBO schools. Upper secondary vocational education (MBO) programme The educational programme for upper secondary vocational education (MBO) Prejudice? Don t you believe it! has been included in the museum s regular provision. A workshop has been developed to enable teachers to present the programme independently within their teaching on citizenship. Teachers who want more intensive training on how to respond to discriminatory remarks can take part in a communication training programme. The Prejudice? Don t you believe it! programme begins with a historical introduction, and encourages pupils to examine their own prejudices and hold meaningful discussions on the limits of freedom of expression. 12 Annual Report 2014

13 Stewardship of the Anne Frank House collection Many personal documents and objects belonging to the Frank family, the other people in hiding and the helpers have been preserved. These artefacts now form a part of the unique collection of the Anne Frank House museum. Bookcase protected Visitors to the Anne Frank House enter the secret annexe through a narrow doorway, passing the original moveable bookcase that once concealed the entrance. Together with a number of experts, the Anne Frank House has searched for a solution that will ensure the bookcase is protected, while still retaining the special experience for museum visitors as they enter the secret annexe. On 8 May the bookcase was fitted with a structure that will protect two sides and the top of the bookcase with sheets of glass. The open side of the bookcase, where the document files stand, was not given extra protection because visitors do not walk alongside it. Het Parool The Anne Frank House has carried out extensive research into the Frank family, the other people in hiding, the helpers and the time spent in hiding for many years. In the period running up to the 85th anniversary of Anne Frank s birth, a series of articles written in partnership with the Anne Frank House was published in Het Parool newspaper. Museum concept redefined In 2014 a start was made on the redefinition of the museum concept, with the aim of linking more closely to the prior knowledge of our visitors and highlighting the new information on the period and the people in hiding that has been revealed by academic research. This new concept will have a greater emphasis on the family history and the broader historical context, without losing the experience of the house as a place of remembrance. Thanks to an additional contribution from the BankGiro Lottery, a start will be made on the redesign of the museum based on these principles in objects In a unique project, a hundred of the most remarkable objects from 25 war and resistance museums in the Netherlands were brought together and put on display in the Kunsthal exhibition centre in Rotterdam. Each object tells its own story of an event that evokes the personal memories, the horror and the emotion of the Second World War. From the collection of the Anne Frank House, a tin of marbles that Anne played with before she was forced into hiding was publicly displayed for the first time. Many Jewish children gave away their toys when they had to report for deportation or go into hiding. Anne Frank left a number of treasured possessions with a girl from her neighbourhood, Toosje Kupers, shortly before she went into hiding together with her parents and her sister Margot in the secret annexe on the Prinsengracht canal on 6 July After the war Otto Frank visited Toosje. She wanted to give the marbles back, but he said: They re for you, as a memento of Anne. 13 Annual Report 2014

14 Education The Anne Frank House develops and distributes educational programmes and products that provide inspiration and connect with the experiences of young people all over the world, with the aim of raising awareness and changing attitudes. Strategic aims and policy priorities The life story of Anne Frank forms the core of the educational activities of the Anne Frank House. By developing and distributing Anne Frank programmes and products, we aim to keep Anne s memory alive and encourage our target groups to reflect on their own actions. Strategic educational aims The insights provided by the life story of Anne Frank can have an effect on the attitudes and behaviour of all those who are introduced to it. The Anne Frank House therefore develops educational programmes and materials that are not only intended to inform our target groups, but also to inspire them to reflection and action. Anti-Semitism, discrimination and social exclusion played a dominant role in the life story of Anne Frank. So the central focus of our educational programmes is to provide information on these subjects, particularly anti-semitism, and to open them up for discussion, with the aim of spreading knowledge and changing attitudes. The importance of human rights as the foundation of the democratic state under the rule of law goes hand in hand with the realisation that fundamental human rights may be mutually contradictory. The Anne Frank House raises people s awareness of the dilemmas that can arise from this, and in this way contributes to an open, democratic society. Through this thought process everyone can be brought to an awareness of their own prejudices, and called upon to actively work against prejudice and discrimination in their own surroundings. Otto Frank in a letter to Mr van Andel, 22 January 1976 Policy priorities in 2014 The implementation of our existing online and offline educational materials, and familiarising our target groups with the training programmes developed for them, were key issues in We are investigating the ways in which our materials that have been developed for the Dutch education market can be adapted for international use. The Teachers Portal will play a major role in this. Bespoke educational materials were also developed in 2014, such as the Anne Frank Journal, as well as materials for a number of key target groups, trainee primary and secondary teachers, teacher educators and youth workers. The development of a training module for the police, which was begun in 2013, will continue. 14 Annual Report 2014

15 An important aspect of our work is the organisation of training programmes and expert meetings for young people, key target groups and special interest organisations, with the aim of transferring knowledge and expertise, exchanging information and expanding networks. This will be continued in Learning from Anne Frank The Anne Frank House develops educational programmes and materials in which the life story of Anne Frank is told in the context of the Second World War and the Holocaust. Anne Frank Journal 2014 Every year, the Anne Frank House produces the Anne Frank Journal for the 7th and 8th grades of Dutch primary schools. The chosen theme for 2014 was friendship. The Anne Frank Journal is published in mid-march, and is used in more than half of all primary schools in their lessons on the Holocaust and the Second World War. Over 100,000 pupils worked with the journal in The educational comic strip New Friends was offered as a supplement to the journal, with a work poster and a lesson for digital whiteboards featuring animations and assignments. New Friends Following the historical graphic novels A Family Secret and The Search, New Friends was launched in March With the use of this personal story, teachers and pupils can work together on the themes of identity, friendship, prejudice and discrimination. The Transvaal neighbourhood in Amsterdam forms the backdrop for this contemporary tale of young people. The target group is pupils aged 11 to ,000 copies of New Friends have been distributed in one year. Begin with Yourself! Begin with Yourself!, an educational publication on prejudice and stereotypes, was published at the end of Begin with Yourself! is aimed at a wide audience, and in particular a number of target groups for whom the Anne Frank House provides educational training programmes: teachers, teacher trainers and student teachers, youth workers, police officers, municipal employees and peer educators. The publication makes it clear that everyone has their own stereotypes and prejudices. The central question in Begin with Yourself! is therefore not How can I combat stereotypes and prejudices? but rather How can I deal with them?. Gaming against discrimination Discriminatory remarks in schools, in social life and on the football field: an intractable contemporary problem. How should you react, and what can you do about it? The game Fair Play - your decisions matter! was launched with a street football tournament in Amsterdam to raise young people s awareness of this issue. The game lasts 12 minutes, and can be played at Fair Play confronts young people with Islamophobia, homophobia and anti-semitism. The game challenges the players to consciously reflect on their own actions. What role will they take at crucial moments? Will they stand aside and watch? Will they help? The game has been played over 6,000 times since its launch. It s a massive social test of yourself, said one of the young people. And that is exactly what it is. The game gives young people the opportunity to reflect on their own attitudes and choices. #annefrank2014 The year 2014 marked the 85th anniversary of Anne Frank s birth. To mark this occasion, we launched a search for the meaning of Anne Frank and the remembrance of her life story today. In the days leading up to 12 June 2014, exactly 85 years since Anne s birth, we asked as many people as possible to post a response on Facebook and Twitter to the question of what Anne Frank means to them, with the hashtag #annefrank2014. In just a week we received thousands of thought-provoking reactions: 15 Annual Report 2014

16 Anne put a human face on the Holocaust that made so many others feel the effects of the Holocaust in their hearts. As a nine-year-old reading her diary I was inspired by her voice, and my writing has never been the same since. Joan Anderson, on Facebook. Anti-Semitism The Anne Frank House initiates research into anti-semitism, both within the sphere of education and in society as whole. This provides an up-to-date picture of the nature and extent of anti-semitic incidents in the Netherlands. The outcomes of the research are used in the development of new educational projects. Monitor research The Verwey-Jonker Institute carries out research commissioned by the Anne Frank House into racism, anti-semitism and right-wing extremist violence in the Netherlands. Its report published in December 2014 shows that the total number of anti-semitic and racist incidents in 2013 remained constant in relation to the previous years. The number of racist incidents is persistently high. Another important conclusion is that, despite this large number of incidents in the Netherlands, criminal convictions under the anti-discrimination legislation are rare. Education The Anne Frank House has been active with various educational initiatives surrounding the theme of anti-semitism: The Search: An educational graphic novel with a teaching pack and training on the Holocaust. What choices and dilemmas were ordinary people faced with during the Holocaust? Why did some people help the Jews, while others merely looked on? For young people aged 13 to 16. Educational tips for teachers: You can be unexpectedly confronted with them in the classroom or in the schoolyard: anti-semitic remarks. I ve got the answer to that! gives educational tips for teachers. Teaching pack on anti-semitism: Free teaching pack on anti-semitism and other forms of discrimination. How do prejudices arise? What are your pupils experiences? And what can they do to combat anti-semitism themselves? For the second and third grades of secondary schools. Educational theory: How can you deal with the Holocaust in your teaching? Why is the story of Anne Frank so important? Tips for teachers for use in lessons or lesson plans. Stories that Move In close cooperation with the Anne Frank House and other partners, the Anne Frank Zentrum in Berlin brought together teachers and educational policymakers to exchange ideas and experiences on teaching about anti-semitism in relation to other forms of discrimination. The educational challenges and the development of an online application for education against anti-semitism and other forms of discrimination were discussed at a conference in June. 16 Annual Report 2014

17 Travelling exhibitions The international travelling exhibition Anne Frank a history for today places the life story of Anne Frank against the background of the Holocaust. With extra display panels specifically created for the locations it visits, the exhibition also deals with local history and contemporary social issues. The number of copies of the exhibition, in various language versions, was increased by 18 in 2014 to a total of 105. Together with our partner organisations we have set up 972 activities in 42 different countries, reaching around half a million young people. The preparation and presentation of these activities was made possible thanks to the commitment and hard work of thousands of volunteers, most of them under 20 years old. Such an ambitious programme could never have been realised without their invaluable contributions. Turkey 29 September saw the opening of the exhibition Anne Frank a history for today in Diyarbakir, Turkey. It was opened by Mr Govert Visser of the Dutch Embassy in Ankara and the Deputy General Secretary of the city of Diyarbakir, Mr Abdullah Sevinç. The project is a joint initiative of the Anne Frank House and our Turkish partner, Sosyal Değişim Derneği (the Association for Social Change) and is supported by the Dutch Embassy. Friesland On 25 November the exhibition Anne Frank a history for today was opened in the library of Oosterwolde in Friesland. In the lead-up to the official opening by Mayor Harry Oosterman, thirty students from the local Stellingwerf College were trained as guides by the Anne Frank House. The young people learned about the content and the background of the exhibition, and how they could most effectively communicate this information. This form of knowledge transfer, known as peer education, leads to a high level of involvement of the young people visiting the exhibition. All the primary schools from Oosterwolde and the surrounding district were invited to visit the exhibition. Vietnam On 10 December Eberhard van der Laan, the Mayor of Amsterdam, and Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House, opened the exhibition Anne Frank a history for today at the Amsterdam High School Ha Noi in Vietnam. It is the first time that the Anne Frank exhibition has been shown in Vietnam. It will later travel to the Vietnamese cities of Hue and Saigon. New In 2014 we worked on the development and design of a new travelling exhibition as the successor to Anne Frank a history for today. The new exhibition Let me be myself will be phased in to replace the old exhibition from the beginning of It presents the life story of Anne Frank in the context of the time in which she lived, and is accompanied by five educational modules that explore the contemporary significance of the history of Anne Frank and the concept of identity. 17 Annual Report 2014

18 Reading and Writing with Anne Frank Following on from earlier positive experiences with the exhibition Reading and Writing with Anne Frank, a new tour of this exhibition developed by the Anne Frank House was begun in 2014, in locations including Europe and Latin America. The exhibition has been specially created for young people, and offers a concise overview of the personal lives of the Frank family. There is also a particular focus on Anne s writing talent. The exhibition could be seen from 18 March at the Casuarinas International College in Lima, Peru, before going on a short tour of other schools in Lima. Before the opening, 26 teachers from 10 different schools in Lima were given training. A total of over 2,000 school students visited the exhibition. From 29 April the exhibition was on display in the National Library in Belgrade, Serbia, and from 30 September it could be seen at libraries in Madrid. The Hungarian version of the exhibition was opened on 4 November in the Ervin Szabó Library in Budapest. Anne Frank Ambassadors All over the world, activities are organised by, for and with young people. Ambassadors project Young people aged 16 to 19 can become Anne Frank Ambassadors. This is a project in which young people learn about the life story of Anne Frank against the background of the Second World War. They also explore themes of identity, prejudice and discrimination today. Together with other young people, the Ambassadors organise activities relating to the significance of Anne Frank, the Second World War and the Holocaust. When they have successfully completed the programme, the young people are awarded the title of Anne Frank Ambassador. It takes ordinary people stepping up as soon as fundamentalism rears its head. And young people have an essential role to play. Frans Timmermans, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, 14 August 2014 The Netherlands 19 young people in the Netherlands were trained as Ambassadors, and developed their own projects. For example, Luka brought his former classmates to the Anne Frank House and led a workshop on prejudice, Hajart and Nisrin taught girls about history and discrimination at sessions in their local community centre, and Dzifa and Mimi helped strangers to get to know each other on Amsterdam s bustling Leidseplein square. Autumn conference, Berlin Fifty young people from thirty countries came together at the Anne Frank House in August. They had all earlier acted as guides for the travelling Anne Frank exhibition, or led other educational activities of the Anne Frank House. Over five days they got to know the work of the Anne Frank House and exchanged experiences. At the closing event, which was attended by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans, they were awarded the title of Anne Frank Ambassador. 18 Annual Report 2014

19 International youth conference Fifty young people from thirty countries came together at the Anne Frank House in August. They had all earlier acted as guides for the travelling Anne Frank exhibition, or led other educational activities of the Anne Frank House. Over five days they got to know the work of the Anne Frank House and exchanged experiences. At the closing event, which was attended by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans, they were awarded the title of Anne Frank Ambassador. Activities for teachers The Anne Frank House participates in international conferences on Holocaust education, and organises training programmes and symposiums for teachers in the Netherlands and abroad. In 2014 over 750 teachers and student teachers followed workshops or training programmes with the Anne Frank House. The training took place at the Anne Frank House or at teacher training institutions. Some of the workshops were concerned with teaching about Anne Frank and the Holocaust. A new addition to our range of programmes for teachers and student teachers is Responding to prejudice and discrimination. To meet the growing demand, five freelance specialists have been trained to present educational programmes and workshops. Teaching about the Second World War and the Holocaust The Anne Frank House organised two international study tours for Dutch teachers who wanted to deepen their knowledge of the history of the Holocaust and address the issue of how to design thoughtprovoking lessons on the subject. Teaching about the war In October, 25 teachers, student teachers and education officers attended a six-day programme in Berlin, prepared by colleagues from the Wannsee Conference House Memorial. In this villa, in January 1942, members of the Nazi leadership met to plan the extermination of the Jews. The programme dealt with the issues of bureaucratic decision-making, exclusion in schools and different types of perpetrators. A number of remembrance centres and museums were visited to experience how various institutions present this history in an educational context. Teaching about the Holocaust Following a preparatory weekend in Amsterdam, including visitors to the Hollandsche Schouwburg in Amsterdam and the memorial at the site of the Westerbork transit camp, at the end of December a group of nineteen teachers travelled to Israel, where they followed an intensive programme at Yad Vashem and the Ghetto Fighters House Museum. At Yad Vashem, the focus was on topics including pre-war Jewish life in Europe, racism and anti-semitism in the period leading up to the Second World War, and the impact of the Shoah on the individual. Begin with Yourself! course The e-course Begin with Yourself! was developed in parallel with the brochure of the same name. In the course the participants are presented with exercises based on real-life experiences of teachers and youth workers. These include problematic questions from young people, and exercises in answering them, as well as useful teaching activities on themes such as prejudice, discrimination and identity. Programmes for pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) A number of well-attended in-service training days were organised for teachers in pre-vocational secondary education. During these study days the teachers could enhance their skills in making connections between the past and the present, tackling prejudice and discrimination, and dealing with hurtful comments in the classroom. 19 Annual Report 2014

20 Youth work Youth workers have been a key target group for the Anne Frank House for many years. How do they tackle prejudice among young people? What can they do to combat discrimination? In 2014 a long-term partnership was begun with Combiwel, a major welfare organisation in Amsterdam, in order to train and support youth workers on these issues. An easily accessible game for young people with the aim of opening up group discussion on themes such as prejudice, discrimination and identity is also being developed. The game will be launched in International teacher academy The international teacher training programme Creating Safe Spaces in the Classroom was presented from 22 to 24 April at the Anne Frank House. 25 teachers from around the world came together to discuss how to create a secure environment in the classroom, with an additional focus on how teachers can deal with discrimination, of which pupils can be both victims and perpetrators, inside and outside the classroom. Erin Gruwell from the USA, renowned for her book Freedom Writers and the film of the same name, attended the conference and discussed her methodology. Youth and Memory The expert seminar Youth and Memory: Educating, Engaging, Participating was hosted by the Anne Frank House from 4 to 6 September. Some thirty academics and teachers from all over Europe came together for three days to exchange experiences on reaching young people and raising historical awareness of wars and other conflicts. Anne Frank House 2015 Infographics by COUP / Peter van den Hoogen / 20 Annual Report 2014