The Door That Never Opened
Before the secret rooms and whispered prayers of the Secret Annex, there was a quiet desperation to leave. In April 1941, Otto Frank reached out to an old friend from his youth, Nathan Straus Jr., the son of the founder of Macy’s department stores in New York. The two men had been close for decades, but this letter was different. It was a plea, a lifeline. Otto wrote, “I’m forced to look out for emigration… It is for the sake of the children mainly that we have to care for. Our own fate is of less importance.” His words reveal a parent’s ultimate devotion: to sacrifice everything for their children’s safety.
Nathan Straus Jr., with his wealth and political connections in President Roosevelt’s administration, immediately offered to help. He quickly signed five copies of an affidavit on June 11, 1941, a promise to sponsor the Frank family’s immigration to the United States. A flicker of hope ignited.
But in the shadow of war, that hope was fleeting. Just five days later, the National Refugee Service informed Straus that the US State Department had implemented new, restrictive rules. Immigration applications now required approval in Washington, and to make matters worse, Germany had ordered all US consulates in Nazi-occupied territories to close. The door to America, once seemingly open, was now sealed shut.
Yet, Otto Frank was not a man to give up. On September 8, 1941, he reached out to Straus again, this time to explore a tourist visa to Cuba. The plan was to get Otto out first, then secure visas for Edith, Margot, and Anne. By December, funds were ready, and the plan was in motion.
Then, on December 11, 1941, the final, fatal blow was delivered. Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Germany’s subsequent declaration of war against the United States, the Cuban government canceled Otto’s visa application. The last door had slammed shut. The Frank family was now trapped in the Netherlands. Their fate, once tied to a hopeful letter and a friend’s promise, was now sealed by global conflict.
