Concept of the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam
| The aim of the international travelling exhibition "Anne Frank, a history for today" is to encourage visitors to think about the value of concepts such as tolerance, human rights, and democracy in today's world. This is done by telling Anne Frank's life story from the perspective of the Frank family and by relating this to the history of the Holocaust as told by other survivors. The exhibition contains several elements that challenge the visitor to think about similarities and differences between these past events and incidents in our world today.
An Educational Project
While the exhibition is self-contained, it also serves as the focus of an educational pack. Parts of the pack are written. There is an audio-visuel supplement and training sessions for teachers can be provided when needed for both local and regional projects. A New Exhibition The predecessor of this exhibition was seen by more than 5.8 million visitors in 580 cities in 23 countries between 1985 and 1995.
The experience gained from the earlier exhibition has helped shape the new exhibition. In terms of content, form and educational philosophy, the new exhibition differs significantly. Aims of the Exhibition The exhibition has these goals: to inform the visitor about the history of the Holocaust from the perspective of the Frank family to make every visitor see that in each society there are differences between people, whether cultural, ethnic, religious, etc. Every attempt to (re)organize society on the basis of a "pure" race, defined in religious or ethnic terms, results in "cleansing". Minorities that fail to fit the "ideal" are discriminated against, excluded, persecuted and sometimes even murdered. to challenge the visitor to think about such social basic values as tolerance, mutual respect, human rights, and democracy.
to convince the visitor that a society in which differences between human beings are respected does not come about automatically. Legislation must be passed and enforced, and each person must be engaged in the effort according to his or her abilities. Set-Up of the Exhibition
The story of Anne Frank's life is the thread running through the exhibition. It has been split into five periods. In each of these periods a theme is elaborated on that is also relevant today. Opening panel
The visitor finds several quotations on Anne Frank and her diary. One understands that the meaning of Anne Frank and her diary can be comprehended differently. Period I: 1929-1933
Anne's first four years. The rise of the Nazi Party. Period II: 1933-1939
The Frank family finds refuge in the Netherlands. Persecution and expulsion of Jews in Germany. Period III: 1939-1942
The Frank family along with other Jews are trapped. The start of active persecution of the Jews in eastern and western Europe. Period IV: 1942-1945
The Frank family lives in hiding in the secret annex where Anne Frank writes her diary. Arrest and deportation. Period V: 1945-today
Publication of Anne Frank's diary and reactions to it. Educational Concept Personal Stories
The story of Anne Frank is the main focus of the exhibition but other people are introduced as well. Their experiences, their stories always form the introduction to more factual information. Questions Asking a good question is often better than giving the answer. Layered information
A hurried visitor who only looks at the main photos and texts nevertheless understands the core message of the exhibition, while less hurried visitors come away with more information. For the very interested visitor there is even more background information to be found in the three-dimensional elements. Making People Curious
The lay-out of the exhibition is designed to make visitors curious. In the exhibition, information is offered in several different ways. Using interactive methods, often the visitor has to do something to obtain the information. Bookshop
At the end of the exhibition there is a bookshop where visitors who have been made curious will find resources to help them explore the exhibition's themes. Among materials offered are a catalogue, a journal that concentrates on the themes of the exhibition and a video-tape in which some of the people introduced in the exhibition - including Otto Frank and Miep Gies - tell their stories. Educational Project
Exhibition Design The exhibition-system consists of 16 elements arranged in three groups. In each group the elements are connected via an overhead construction. Each element has an upper and lower part; the latter serves as a container for the former for transportation purposes. During exhibitions, the additional containers can be stored in the lower part. Next to the two-dimensional graphical surfaces, the upper part also supports three-dimensional elements such as little drawers and looking boxes. The front and back panels of the elements on which the exhibition is printed are connected to the construction semi-permanently in order to facilitate the easy change of language. The three exhibition groups are set up to form an inner and outer circle, a construction that creates a more intimate atmosphere in the inner circle where the life of Anne Frank and the history of the Second World War are dealt with. On the overhead constructions, larger photos are displayed that serve as orientation points for exhibition guides. On the panels information is provided in large photos, drawings, headlines and main texts. More detailed information can be found in sub-texts either on the panels or on the three-dimensional elements. The outer circle adds other people's prespectives to that of the Frank family. The graphic design and the absence of an overhead construction create a different atmosphere.
On the upper side of the overhead construction there is a facsimile of Anne Frank's handwriting. A routing system orients individual visitors. Technical Details
· Space required: 20m x 14m
Groups: (the elements are arranged in three groups):
· Illumination: The exhibition has its own illumination; as a result darker rooms can also be used. · Electricity: Two independent plugs, each using 220 watts, need to be backed up with 16 Amps. The cables are an integral part of the exhibition. · Containers: The lower parts of the panels form the containers for the upper parts. All other containers are stored in the lower parts of the elements, while other boxes provide seats for visitors or become part of the book shop. · Setting up and taking down: Necessary tools are provided with the exhibition. Three persons need approximately one day to set up the exhibition and another day to take it down. · Audiovisual In the exhibition neither an audiovisual nor
materials computer system is included because of the possibility of breakdowns. LCD monitors may be available. With mini-disks or CD players, audio presentations can be integrated into the exhibition. Video films that can be shown seperately are provided with the exhibition.
A Community Project "Anne Frank, a history for today" is meant to serve as the center of a larger project on a local or regional level. The exhibition and its accompanying materials should encourage people to deal with the history of their own city and region as well as with contemporary questions of discrimination and persecution. The exhibition provides an event and framework for a broad range of other local activities.
To make the exhibition part of a larger project, various activities can be considered: supporting local or regional exhibitions; projects through which students search the pastby interviewing survivors; lectures; study trips; films; discussion groups. All of these can greatly increase the impact of the project.
With all these activities the aim should be to offer a range of different approaches to the questions dealt with in the exhibition and to encourage an active participation in efforts to build up a pluralistic society based on the principles of equal rights and mutual respect. Address
Anne Frank House | |||
| Anne Frank Haus Amsterdam | |||