Anne Frank. The very name is recognized around the world as an emblem of courage and resolve in the face of hatred and intolerance. The Diary of Anne Frank, the personal chronicle of the German-Jewish teenager whose family spent more than two years in hiding during World War II, is one of the most widely read books in the world, second only to the Bible.
In an effort to share Anne Frank's story, Kennesaw State University and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust are hosting "Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945" a multimedia exhibit that uses 8,000 words and 600 pictures to recount compelling events in Anne's short life. This educational exhibit, located in Kennesaw, twelve miles north of I-285 on I-75, is one of only three in existence.
To reach the main exhibit at the KSU Center, visitors walk through a replica of a cattle car door - modeled after the cattle cars in which millions of Holocaust victims were sent to prison and death. Visitors then enter through a bookcase, a visible reminder that Anne Frank and her family lived in a hidden annex above Otto Frank's office. Photographs of Anne and her family in happier times are shown alongside a historical account of Adolf Hitler's rise to power. After more than two years in hiding in Amsterdam, the Frank family was betrayed to the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Only Otto Frank survived.
At the end of the exhibit, a "Scroll Room" contains more than 400 tiny holes with various quotes from Anne's diary inscribed on small scrolls of parchment paper. Visitors are encouraged to take the scrolls with them as a memento.
In addition to the hundreds of rare photographs and historical text, a newly produced 28-minute video presentation, "The Short Life of Anne Frank," chronicles the existence of the teenager and her family. British actor Jeremy Irons narrates the documentary, produced by the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Teaching visitors acceptance and promoting diversity are the primary goals of the exhibit, which also depicts other acts of inhumanity in the world today.
"We are certainly honored to offer the Anne Frank exhibit to the city, the state, and the world," said Betty Siegel, president, Kennesaw State University. "We have through Anne Frank the voice of a generation and a timeless teacher of tolerance. The effort to bring the exhibit to Kennesaw State was well worth the dedication of so many committed people."
"Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945" was granted to Kennesaw State University by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, which in turn was awarded it by the Anne Frank Center of New York and the Anne Frank House of Amsterdam. The exhibit will be displayed for at least the next three years at the KSU Center. "Anne Frank in the World" is open to the public seven days a week and is free of charge. For more information on the exhibit, please visit www.kennesaw.edu/annefrank/index.htm or call (678) 797-2083.
