The Betrayal and the Hope
The raid on the Secret Annex on August 4, 1944, not only led to the arrest of the eight people in hiding but also their devoted helpers, Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler. Otto Frank was horrified that his friends were also being taken, but in a moment of extraordinary courage, Kleiman reassured him: “It was my choice and I don’t regret it!” This powerful line is a testament to the selfless bravery of the helpers who risked their lives to protect others.
The two men were taken to the headquarters of the German police in Amsterdam, where they were interrogated and later separated from the women. Kleiman and Kugler were sent to a different jail and eventually to the Amersfoort concentration camp. Both men, incredibly, survived the war and returned to Amsterdam, their dedication an enduring symbol of resistance.
Meanwhile, the other helpers were not idle. On Monday, August 7, Miep Gies found the courage to go to the Gestapo’s headquarters. She approached the officer who had led the raid, Karl Josef Silberbauer, and discreetly offered him money in an attempt to buy the prisoners’ freedom. Silberbauer rejected her offer and sent her to his boss. Miep, in a moment of quick thinking, noticed the boss was listening to an enemy radio station and quickly fled. Her brave but unsuccessful attempt was the last hope for the eight in hiding.
The very next day, the Frank family and the others from the Secret Annex were sent on a train to the Westerbork transit camp. This journey marked the end of their lives in hiding and the beginning of their final, tragic journey.