The 4th of August 1944 was an eventful Friday for Anne Frank and her family. It was a sunny and warm day. To Anne and the people hiding, it was the 761st day since they took shelter in one of her father’s warehouses, a secret Annex in Amsterdam.

German police officers showed up at the secret Annex in the early hours of the morning between ten and eleven. They met Van Maaren on the ground floor, who referred them to the office staff on the first floor. There is no proof of Van knowing there were people in hiding.

The office staff was busy working when the police walked in and went directly to the managing director who was Victor Kugler. They questioned him and took him with them to search the building. During the search, the police saw a revolving bookcase and decided to check there. This was the entrance to the secret Annex.

Anne had kept a diary for the two years, which she marked with insight, humor and poignancy. The journal was about her life in hiding. When the police came in, they took all the valuables of the people in hiding. As the police emptied the valuables into a briefcase, Anne’s diary fell to the wooden floor. It was time for departure.

Helpers Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kluger were arrested together with Anne and the rest of the people in hiding. By then, it was around 1 PM. Otto, the father of Anne, was the only one who survived the war. After his return, helper Miep gave him the papers from Anne’s diary.

More Facts About the Arrest of Anne Frank and Her Family

• On August 4, 1944, the Nazis arrested Anne Frank, her family, and other Jews (the van Pels family and Fritz Pfeiffer). They had been hiding from the Nazis at Otto Frank’s office building 263 Prinsengracht in a secret Annex above the offices.
• An anonymous tip guided the Nazis to the secret annex where Ann Frank and her family were captured. Even after decades of investigations, no source has proved the informant’s identity.
• Two retired FBI officials partly lead the 20-person team; Roger Depue, a behavioral scientist; and Vince Pankoke, a former special agent.
• Anne Frank was only 15 years old when she was arrested
• The Franks lived in hiding for over two years
• Although the circumstances of Frank’s arrest have been cloaked in mystery, the diary he kept during her confinement is currently among the most crucial accounts of the Holocaust.
• The Nazi Gestapo forced the Franks and van Pels to hand over their valuables.
• The Gestapo threw out Otto Frank’s briefcase containing Anne Frank’s diary from when she turned 13 through their hiding.
• Anne Frank’s father, Otto was the only family member who survived the subsequent deportation to concentration camps