On 6 June 1977, Bibi van Groen wrote a letter to Otto Frank, the father of Anne and Margot, who was then 88 and living in Switzerland. She explained that while clearing out their bookcase, she, her husband, and daughter had found a fairy tale book bearing the names of Anne and Margot Frank. Her husband had purchased the book in 1945 at a second-hand bookshop in Amsterdam and only now, more than 30 years later, realized it had once belonged to the Frank sisters.
Anne Frank House acquires Book of Fairy Tales once owned by Anne and Margot Frank
April 28, 2025 — The Anne Frank House has acquired a German-language book of fairy tales once owned by sisters Anne and Margot Frank during their childhood. The book, Aus Grimms Märchen, contains twenty fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. On the flyleaf, Anne wrote the names “Anne Frank and Margot Frank”. The book also includes a stamp and an ex libris mark, “MF”, from Margot.
‘A remembrance of my children’
Otto Frank responded on 10 June 1977, stating that the book had likely been left behind in their former home on Merwedeplein and somehow ended up with the bookseller “after everything was taken away by the Germans”. He added, “Since the book you found is a beautifully illustrated edition of Grimm’s Märchen and I sense your sympathy for our fate from your letter, I would like you to keep it for your little daughter as a remembrance of my children.”
Auction
The fairy tale book was later auctioned in New York in 2016 and purchased by the International Museum of World War II. When the museum closed in 2019, much of its collection, including the book, was sold to a private collector. The Anne Frank House has now been able to acquire the book, with support from the Friends Lottery.
Avid readers
Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House, stated: “We are very pleased with this new acquisition. Anne and Margot were already avid readers from a young age. The storybook is a wonderful addition to our collection, serving as a tangible reminder of the girls’ lives before they went into hiding.”
‘We long for Saturdays, because that means books. We're like a bunch of little kids with a present. Ordinary people don't know how much books can mean to someone who's cooped up. Our only diversions are reading, studying and listening to the radio.’