My Friend Anne Frank

1. Escape from a Changing Germany

My family had called Germany home for a thousand years.

Early life disrupted. Hannah Pick-Goslar was born in Berlin in 1928 into a privileged, intellectual Jewish family deeply connected to German culture and public life. Her father, Hans Goslar, a high-ranking government official and observant Jew, recognized the growing danger after Hitler came to power in 1933. The family's comfortable life, filled with art, music, and intellectual pursuits, was abruptly threatened.

Forced to leave. Facing job loss and increasing antisemitism, Hannah's parents made the painful decision to leave their homeland. Their first attempt to settle in London failed when her father refused to work on the Jewish Sabbath, a core tenet of his faith. This led them to seek refuge once more, this time in Amsterdam, Netherlands, hoping its neutrality and liberal reputation would offer safety.

Scattering family. The decision to leave Germany meant scattering their extended family across the globe, from Switzerland and England to the United States. Many relatives, including Hannah's grandparents, were reluctant to abandon their lives and homes, clinging to the hope that the situation would improve. This initial separation foreshadowed the greater losses to come.

2. Finding Refuge and Friendship in Amsterdam

That little girl, so full of life, would become the most famous victim of the Holocaust... she was simply my friend, Anne Frank.

New home, new friend. Arriving in Amsterdam in 1934, five-year-old Hannah was shy and struggled to adjust to a new language and environment. Her first day at the 6th Montessori school brought a transformative encounter: she recognized a girl from a grocery store, Annelies Marie Frank, who had also recently arrived from Germany. Their shared language and refugee status forged an instant, deep connection.

Like sisters. Hannah and Anne quickly became inseparable, living next door to each other on Merwedeplein Square. Their families grew close, sharing Shabbat dinners and holidays, finding mutual support as German Jewish refugees navigating life in a new city. Despite their different personalities—Hannah reserved, Anne outgoing and confident—their bond was strong.

A vibrant community. Merwedeplein became a hub for German Jewish refugees, creating a warm, if temporary, bubble of community life. Hannah, Anne, and their friends enjoyed typical childhood activities like playing games in the square, going to the cinema, and sleepovers. This period represented a precious time of relative normalcy and happiness before the full impact of the war descended.

3. The Noose Tightens: Growing Nazi Restrictions

'They are trying to make us into pariahs!' I overheard my father hiss.

Freedoms eroded. Following the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, life for Jews in Amsterdam began to change dramatically. Initially subtle, restrictions escalated rapidly, chipping away at their rights and freedoms. These measures aimed to isolate and dehumanize the Jewish population.

Increasing limitations:

• Ban on kosher slaughter
• Exclusion from public places (hotels, restaurants, parks, cinemas, sports clubs)
• Forced registration and identity cards marked with a 'J'
• Ban on employing non-Jewish servants
• Forced attendance at segregated Jewish schools
• Curfew after sunset
• Ban on using public transport (trams, trains)
• Confiscation of bicycles and radios
• Restrictions on shopping hours and locations
• Requirement to wear the yellow Star of David

A visible target. The mandatory wearing of the yellow star in 1942 was a particularly humiliating measure, making Jews instantly identifiable and vulnerable to public scrutiny and disdain. Hannah initially felt a naive pride but soon understood its true purpose: to mark them as outsiders and targets. The once integrated community felt increasingly separated from their non-Jewish neighbors.

4. Invasion and the Start of Deportation

The dreaded invasion dismissed as far-fetched by most Dutch had come.

Sudden shock. The German invasion of the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, shattered the illusion of neutrality and safety. The roar of warplanes and the sight of German soldiers marching through the streets brought immediate fear, especially for German Jewish refugees who understood the Nazi regime's true nature. Hannah's father, fearing arrest as a former political opponent, destroyed incriminating documents.

Panic and flight. The swift Dutch surrender after only five days, coupled with the flight of the Queen and government, caused widespread panic. Rumors of escape routes, like boats to England, led some, including Hannah's father, to make desperate, often futile, attempts to flee. The reality of being trapped under Nazi occupation set in, leading to a wave of suicides among those who saw no way out.

First deportations. While initial occupation was deceptively calm, the first mass arrests and deportations of Jewish men began in February 1941, following clashes in the Jewish Quarter. These men were sent to concentration camps in Germany, with vague explanations of "work in the east." This marked the terrifying beginning of the systematic removal of Jews from Dutch society, a process that would escalate dramatically.

5. Life and Loss in Westerbork Transit Camp

We all live by the week here; it starts Tuesday morning and ends Tuesday morning: the minute the train pulls out.

Deportation. In June 1943, Hannah, her father, grandparents, and their maid Irma were rounded up in a large-scale razzia targeting Jews in Amsterdam. Despite their exemption stamps and foreign passports, they were taken to the Hollandsche Schouwburg, a theater turned deportation center. While Hannah's family was initially released, Irma was taken to Westerbork, a transit camp in northeastern Netherlands.

Westerbork reality. Weeks later, Hannah and her family were themselves deported to Westerbork. Separated by gender, Hannah and her younger sister Gabi were placed in the orphanage barracks, while their father and grandparents were in separate men's and women's barracks. Life in Westerbork was a strange mix of routine, fear, and community resilience, with work details, classes, concerts, and religious services alongside the constant dread of deportation.

Tuesday transports. The defining feature of Westerbork was the weekly Tuesday morning transport to camps in the east, usually Poland. Lists of names were read out the night before, causing immense terror. Hannah witnessed the heartbreaking scenes of families being forced onto cattle cars, not knowing their destination or fate. Despite their protected status, the fear of being included on a list was ever-present.

6. Bergen-Belsen: A Different Kind of Hell

To them we were just numbers, not human beings.

Transfer to Germany. In February 1944, after eight months in Westerbork, Hannah's family was put on a train to Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp in Germany. They were told it was a "privileged exchange camp" for Jews with foreign passports or Palestine certificates, where conditions would be good before they were exchanged for German prisoners of war.

Harsh reality. The reality of Bergen-Belsen was far from the promised "ideal camp." Conditions were brutal: freezing barracks, rampant disease (especially typhus), starvation rations, and constant humiliation. Hannah contracted jaundice upon arrival and was quarantined in a former horse stable. Daily life revolved around grueling appells (roll calls) in all weather, physically demanding work details, and the constant threat of arbitrary violence from SS guards and kapos.

Struggle for survival. Despite the horrific conditions, Hannah found moments of human connection and resilience. She was helped by Mrs. Abrahams, a fellow prisoner who cared for Gabi while Hannah was ill. Her father continued to offer spiritual guidance to others despite his declining health from working in the shoe commando. The hope of exchange and the bond with her family were crucial for enduring the daily struggle for survival.

7. A Devastating Reunion with Anne

'Hanneli? Hanneli, is that actually you?'

Shocking news. In February 1945, after a year in Bergen-Belsen, Hannah heard a rumor that Dutch women had arrived from Auschwitz and were housed in tents next to her camp, separated by a straw-stuffed fence. Then came the astonishing news: Anne Frank was among them. Hannah had believed Anne was safe in Switzerland since 1942.

Meeting at the fence. Despite the extreme danger of approaching the fence after curfew, Hannah felt compelled to find Anne. Through the barrier, they had a brief, tearful conversation. Hannah was shocked by Anne's weakened voice and appearance, a stark contrast to the vibrant friend she remembered. Anne revealed they had been in hiding for over two years before being betrayed and sent to Auschwitz.

Heartbreaking truths. Anne shared devastating news: her mother was dead, and she believed her father had been gassed at Auschwitz. She spoke of the horrors of Auschwitz and her own starvation and illness. Hannah, in turn, told Anne about the deaths of her mother, grandfather, and her father's severe illness. They were two girls, once inseparable friends, now sharing unimaginable loss and suffering across a barbed-wire fence.

8. Loss of Family and the Fight for Survival

Mama, Opa, Papa and now Oma.

Family gone. The concentration camps systematically stripped Hannah of her family. Her mother died in childbirth in Amsterdam in October 1942. Her grandfather died of a heart attack in Westerbork in November 1943, unable to withstand the stress. Her father, weakened by illness contracted from forced labor, died in Bergen-Belsen in February 1945, just hours before he was scheduled for a potential exchange.

Just Gabi and me. The death of her grandmother in March 1945, also in Bergen-Belsen, left Hannah, at 16, solely responsible for her younger sister, Gabi, who was still recovering from a serious ear infection. This immense burden fueled Hannah's determination to survive, pushing past her own illness and despair to care for her sister.

Enduring loss. The constant presence of death in the camps, from starvation, disease, and violence, became a grim reality. Bodies piled up faster than they could be buried or cremated. Hannah witnessed the dehumanization of the dying and the dead, yet clung to the memory of her family and the values they instilled, finding strength in her bond with Gabi and the kindness of others like Mrs. Abrahams.

9. The Ordeal of the Lost Train

The Russians! The Russians liberated us.

Evacuation. In April 1945, as Allied forces advanced, the Germans began evacuating Bergen-Belsen. Hannah, Gabi, and hundreds of others from the "exchange camp" were forced onto cattle cars for transport, destination unknown. This journey became a harrowing ordeal, lasting 13 days, with little food or water, constant fear of bombing, and increasing death among the passengers.

A journey of suffering. The train stopped frequently, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, often in remote locations. Passengers were forced off during air raids or left to forage for food in the countryside. Illness was rampant, and bodies were buried hastily along the tracks. Hannah witnessed desperate acts of survival, including trading precious valuables for meager amounts of food.

Unexpected freedom. The train, later dubbed "The Lost Train," wandered aimlessly between the collapsing German fronts. On April 23, 1945, it stopped near the German village of Tröbitz. Hannah awoke to find the German guards gone and Russian soldiers arriving, announcing their liberation. After weeks of terror and uncertainty, freedom arrived quietly, almost unnoticed by the exhausted survivors.

10. Liberation and the Long Road to Recovery

Liberation. I had dreamt of this since being woken at dawn five years earlier...

Freedom's reality. Liberation in Tröbitz was not the triumphant moment Hannah had imagined. Weakened by typhus and starvation, she had slept through the arrival of the Russian soldiers. The immediate reality was finding food and shelter in a German village where the residents were terrified of the Russians and recoiled from the appearance of the survivors.

First steps to healing. Hannah, Gabi, and a few others found refuge in an abandoned house, slowly regaining strength on meager rations of potatoes and jam. The first act of washing away the filth of the camps and sleeping in a clean bed felt miraculous. However, the joy of freedom was tempered by the continued deaths of survivors who succumbed to illness or overeating after years of starvation.

Separation and care. Transported back to the Netherlands via Leipzig, Hannah was diagnosed with pleurisy and sent to a hospital in Maastricht, while Gabi, deemed healthy, was sent to an orphanage near Amsterdam run by the Birnbaums, their former caregivers from Westerbork. This separation was painful, but Hannah focused on her recovery, writing letters to connect with surviving family and friends and learning about the fate of those lost.

11. Anne's Diary: A Voice from the Past

Her diary made me realise just how special and unlike anyone else Anne was.

A saved voice. While recovering, Hannah received astonishing news from Mr. Frank: Anne's diary had survived. Miep Gies, who had helped hide the Frank family, found the diary after their arrest and kept it, giving it to Mr. Frank after the war when it became clear Anne would not return.

A window into hiding. Reading Anne's diary was a profound experience for Hannah. It offered a detailed account of Anne's life in hiding, her thoughts, feelings, and observations, revealing a maturity and depth Hannah had not fully grasped. It also confirmed Anne's continued thoughts of Hannah, including a poignant dream where Anne prayed for Hannah's safety in the camps.

Anne's legacy. Mr. Frank was determined to publish the diary, fulfilling Anne's wartime wish to become a writer and contribute her story to the historical record. Hannah supported this, allowing her own experiences and relationship with Anne to be included. The diary's publication transformed Anne from Hannah's lost friend into a global symbol, ensuring her voice and the story of those in hiding would reach millions.

12. Rebuilding a Life in the Promised Land

My father’s dream of building a life there was now mine.

Looking forward. After months of recovery in Dutch hospitals and reconnecting with surviving friends and family, Hannah, now 18 and stateless, set her sights on fulfilling her father's dream: immigrating to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). Despite the challenges of obtaining a visa and leaving Gabi behind temporarily, she was determined to build a new life there.

Arrival and adjustment. In May 1947, Hannah arrived in Haifa, Mandatory Palestine. Her initial experiences included living on a religious kibbutz, learning Hebrew in a youth village, and witnessing the growing conflict between Jewish and Arab communities ahead of the UN Partition Plan. She began nursing training in Jerusalem, working in a hospital and confronting the poverty and violence of the ongoing conflict.

A new beginning. Despite the hardships and the lingering trauma of her past, Hannah found purpose in her studies and the vision of building a Jewish homeland. She was determined to become a children's nurse and eventually bring Gabi to join her. Her journey from a privileged childhood in Berlin to the horrors of the camps and finally to a new life in Israel was marked by immense loss but also by resilience, hope, and the enduring legacy of her family's values and dreams.

Last updated: May 14, 2025