A Home, A Holiday, A Quiet Reunion
On December 5, 1933, the Frank family took a significant step toward a new life. They moved into their new home at Merwedeplein 37 in Amsterdam. The apartment was not only “reasonably priced,” but also quite large, a promising start in a new city. Two days later, Otto Frank registered Margot and Anne at their new address, a formal act that made their new life official.
But as with any big move, there was a transition period. While Otto and Edith settled in, their daughters remained with family in Germany. Edith, with a mother’s thoughtful heart, wanted to get the apartment ready before the girls arrived. She wanted their new home to feel like a sanctuary, a place of comfort and safety. Her plan was to bring Margot over first, allowing her to adjust to their new life before starting school in January.
The waiting was hard for everyone. Edith’s longing for her girls is evident in a letter she wrote shortly before Christmas: “Tomorrow the two uncles will bring Margot and stay here over the holiday,” she wrote to her friend, Gertrud Naumann. But her letter also reveals the fierce spirit of her youngest daughter, Anne. She worried that “Anne will want to come too,” and that her own mother, Oma, would “have a hard time keeping her there another few weeks.” This small, anxious detail is a charming glimpse into Anne’s personality—a child so eager to be with her family that she wouldn’t want to wait.
The Frank family’s first Christmas in Amsterdam was a quiet, careful reunion. It was not a single, grand event, but a gradual coming together, a testament to their patience and their deep love for one another.