A new immersive exhibit featuring a full-scale replica of Anne Frank's secret annex is set to open in New York. This will mark the first time the Anne Frank House will display this iconic recreation outside Amsterdam. The exhibition is scheduled to open on January 27, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and will coincide with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
For two years during World War II, Anne Frank and her family, along with others, hid from Nazi persecution in a cramped annex in Amsterdam. This space is now being recreated with meticulous detail to offer visitors a deeply immersive experience, highlighting the intense struggles and hopes within the annex, Euro News reported.
The replica of the annex aims to bring to life the physical and emotional challenges faced by the eight people who hid there, including Anne Frank, her sister Margot, and their parents. "This is a pioneering experience, presenting the secret annex in full scale for the first time outside Amsterdam," said Ronald Leopold, director of the Anne Frank House, in an interview with The Associated Press.
Visitors will be able to walk through the rooms where Anne and her family lived, capturing a sense of what daily life must have been like for them—marked by fear, silence, and uncertainty. "We want visitors to see Anne not just as a victim but also as a young girl, a writer, and a symbol of resilience," Leopold added.
The story of Anne Frank, who kept a diary documenting her life in hiding, has resonated across generations. Her diary, published by her father Otto Frank after the war, remains a powerful account of the Holocaust's horrors and the enduring human spirit. The diary itself, however, will not be part of the New York exhibition due to its fragile condition.
Among the 125 objects traveling from Amsterdam for the exhibit will be personal photographs, letters, and a yellow star worn by Jews under Nazi rule. Also featured will be the Best Supporting Actress Oscar won by Shelley Winters for her role in the 1959 film The Diary of Anne Frank.
