Anne Frank
Anne Frank would have turned 80 this month, on June 12th. The Washington Post carries a piece by George Stevens, Jr., on his father, the director of The Diary of Anne Frank, and the making of the film.
Otto Frank described the day the Gestapo broke through the bookcase door that concealed the entrance. It was determined later that Gestapo Oberscharfuhrer Karl Silberbauer was the man in charge. He snatched Mr. Frank’s briefcase and emptied the contents on the floor. He gathered up the silverware and a Hanukkah menorah and left behind papers and other contents as they herded the two families down the stairs.
Anne’s diary remained on the floor.
On that day the normally efficient German war machine failed. Silberbauer left behind evidence — a document that would one day make Anne Frank’s voice and spirit an important part of world literature, a voice for humanity and tolerance. Her memory became an enduring presence that would grow in importance as the once-powerful voice of Adolf Hitler faded into ignominy.