A Friendship Forged in a Changing World
Hannah Elisabeth (Hanneli) Goslar was born on November 12, 1928, in Berlin. Her life began there, but the rise of the Nazi party forced her family to seek refuge in Amsterdam in 1933. It was on her very first day of kindergarten that she met Anne Frank. A shy and gentle girl, Hannah was immediately drawn to the vivacious and outspoken Anne. Their friendship became a source of comfort and normalcy in a world that was becoming increasingly hostile.
Their paths tragically diverged when the Frank family went into hiding. Yet, in a twist of fate, they were reunited in the horrific Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. In a moment of despair, Hannah managed to briefly communicate with Anne through a wire fence, a final, heartbreaking encounter.
Hannah and her younger sister, Gabi, survived fourteen brutal months in the camp, the sole survivors of their immediate family. In June 1945, they were brought to Maastricht. Hannah, seriously ill with tuberculosis, spent several months in recovery. During this time, Otto Frank, the sole survivor of the Secret Annex, visited them and cared for the girls like a father. This act of love and remembrance became a testament to the deep bond that remained.
A Legacy of Hope
Later, Hannah finished her schooling in Basel and, in 1947, she and Gabi emigrated to Jerusalem. Hannah became a nurse, married Walter Pick, and built a new life for herself, a life filled with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Hannah Pick-Goslar died on October 28, 2022. She spent much of her life dedicated to sharing her story, becoming a quiet but powerful voice for the millions who were silenced in the Holocaust. Her memory lives on not only in her family but also in the hearts of all who have been touched by her story and her unwavering spirit. Her life is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope and resilience can endure.
