The New School
In August 1941, the Jewish community in Amsterdam received a chilling new order from the Nazis: all Jewish schoolchildren would be required to attend separate schools after the summer holiday. This decree, one of many anti-Semitic measures, was designed to further isolate and marginalize the Jewish population. To accommodate the nearly 7,000 children affected, Amsterdam City Council was forced to set up 24 new schools.
For the Frank family, this meant a sudden and difficult change. Otto and Edith decided to enroll their daughters in the Jewish Lyceum on the Stadstimmertuinen street. The school opened its doors on October 15, 1941. Margot, the diligent older sister, went into the fourth year, while Anne, the energetic and social one, began her first year.
Despite the dark circumstances behind its creation, Anne loved her new school. She thrived in the environment and quickly made new friends. The school’s atmosphere also seemed to suit the more reserved Margot, who “blossomed” and enjoyed the newfound freedom. This period of their lives, though born from persecution, was a bittersweet one. It was a time when they were still able to find joy and connection, a final moment of normalcy before their world would be confined to a few hidden rooms.