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Month-long exhibition remembers life of diary writer Anne Frank
ANNE Frank, the young Jewish girl whose diary records the two years that she and her family spent in hiding from the Nazi authorities, would have celebrated her 80th birthday this June.
Instead she remains the world's most famous 13-year-old, her diary read each year by millions of schoolchildren worldwide.
From Wednesday, as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, Lancaster Cathedral, will host an exhibition about the short life of this remarkable teenager.
The exhibition – Anne Frank: a History for Today – has been assembled by the London-based Anne Frank Trust and will be open to the general public and school groups until July 22.
Visitors can watch a short film about Anne Frank's life; view a selection of family photos taken by Anne's father, Otto Frank; and learn more about Anne's story through a series of information panels.
There will be a timeline marking the steady erosion of the rights of Dutch Jews in the years immediately before the Frank family went into hiding in July, 1942; and a visitor book which will record the thoughts and impressions of those who have explored the exhibition.
The cathedral has created a commemorative display focusing on instances of genocide throughout history in memory of those who have lost their lives simply because of the colour of their skin, their religious beliefs or their cultural identities.
The Whiteside Chapel within the cathedral will be set aside as a place where visitors can spend time in quiet contemplation about the tragedy of the Holocaust, the short life of Anne Frank or the millions of lives sacrificed through genocide over the course of human history.
Stewards provided by the cathedral parish and other local groups will be on hand to guide visitors through the exhibition and answer any questions.
Aside from welcoming members of the general public, the cathedral has issued invitations to primary and secondary schools throughout Lancashire and the Lakes and a large number of children will visit the exhibition with their classmates between 9.30am and 3pm each school day.
Anne Frank's diary is regularly read in British schools and this exhibition will offer younger visitors a unique chance to explore the larger issues raised by Anne Frank's story, including the roles that genocide, intolerance and discrimination – whether racial, social or religious – continue to play throughout the world.
For those who would like to learn more about the Holocaust, a number of related activities has been scheduled throughout July.
n On July 13 at 8pm, Bill Williams, professor of Jewish Studies at Manchester University, will give a talk entitled The Saved and the Trapped, outlining the experience of one young refugee from Vienna who arrived alone in Manchester in January 1939 and subsequently lost her parents, relatives and friends in the Holocaust. This talk will be held in the cathedral and admission is free.
n On July 20 the Dukes Cinema will screen The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, a critically acclaimed film that speaks to young people about the tragedy of the Holocaust with a poignancy and immediacy reminiscent of the Diary of Anne Frank. The film begins at 6.15pm and tickets are available from the Dukes box office on 01524 598500 or on the evening.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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