The majority of people know the unfortunate story of Anne Frank and her family. Students at the middle, high school and college level are still reading and studying “The Diary of a Young Girl” in an effort to keep her voice alive.
Frank, among millions of others, was taken and killed by the regime of Adolf Hitler during World War II. Although Hitler hoped to keep the voices of the victims of the Holocaust quiet, people across the world have made sure that they are still heard.
The University of South Carolina in Columbia has decided to continue to keep this story going by opening the Anne Frank Center on the university’s campus. The center will be officially open to the public on Sept. 15.
Doyle Stevick, the executive director of the Anne Frank Center, said, “In 2013, I had the opportunity to visit Buenos Aires, where the Ana Frank Centro developed a home into a full-fledged Anne Frank House partner site. It provided the inspiration for that possibility in the USC, but I never imagined it might come true.”
When people visit the center, they can expect to learn about the history of the Frank family during their time in hiding in an annex above Anne Frank’s father’s business. Along with learning about the family, visitors will be able to view official artifacts that represent the family’s experience, as well as read pages from Anne Frank’s diary.
“Visitors receive a guided tour through our exhibition. We are committed to peer education, and our tours will be led by undergraduate volunteers as well as our staff,” Stevick said. “Right now, we’re scheduling group tours and expect to open up a system for individual visitors to join others for timed-entry tours.”
“We have four content rooms and two seminar rooms where we are committed to a philosophy of ‘Remember, Reflect, and Respond,’ which is the heart and hand of learning. Learn the history, consider its lessons, and act in the present,” Stevick said.
Professor Ann Jordan, an instructor of English here at Winthrop University, teaches a Holocaust literature class. In this class, the students read “The Diary of a Young Girl.”
“Anne Frank’s story is powerful, and her determination, optimism, and unwavering belief in the basic goodness of people should serve as an inspiration to all. I am happy and proud to see a permanent collection located in our state,” Jordan said.
After the opening of the center, it is expected that numerous schools across the state will begin scheduling opportunities for students to go and learn about the life of the Frank family.
“Our bread and butter is outreach to schools. We want to welcome as many people as possible here,” Stevick said. “Our hope is that visitors will then bring out traveling exhibits back to their communities, schools, and colleges, so more people can engage with this history.”
Thankfully, the Anne Frank Center is close to Winthrop’s campus, and students will be able to visit without driving a far distance. Utilizing resources such as this center is important as students continue to grow as scholars and gain more information.
