Miya Pearson
Hermine Miep Gies was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank, her family, and four other Dutch Jews from the Nazis during World War II. Miep Gies and her husband, Jan, played by Bel Powley and Joe Cole in the National Geographic series 'A Small Light', risked their lives to protect the Frank family. On one occasion, Anne Frank persuaded Miep to sleep over in the attic, giving her a glimpse into the fear and helplessness experienced by those in hiding. Miep's efforts to safeguard Anne Frank and her diary have ensured that the world continues to remember the horrors of the Holocaust and pay tribute to the resilience of those impacted by it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Hermine "Miep" Gies |
| Born | 15 February 1909, Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 11 January 2010 |
| Age | 100 |
| Notable for | Helping Anne Frank and her family, along with four other Dutch Jews, hide from the Nazis during World War II |
| Occupation | Secretary for Otto Frank |
| Awards | Raoul Wallenberg Award for Bravery, The Righteous Amongst the Nations Award |
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What You'll Learn
Anne Frank's diary
Miep Gies was one of the helpers of the people hiding in the Secret Annex, including Anne Frank. She was Austrian by birth and was sent to Leiden, Netherlands, at the age of 11 to escape food shortages in Austria after World War I. She ended up in the care of the Nieuwenburg family, who lovingly received her. In 1933, she began working for Otto Frank, a Jewish businessman who had recently relocated from Germany to the Netherlands with his family to escape Nazi persecution.
Miep and her husband, Jan Gies, hid a young Jewish student in their apartment, in addition to helping the eight people in the annex. They were also responsible for bringing things to the hiding place and providing food and library books. Miep's friendship with Anne Frank was especially strong, and she is mentioned by her first name in Anne's diary. Anne even persuaded Miep to sleep over in the attic one night, where she spent a suffocating, sleepless night on Anne's small, hard bed. This experience gave Miep a glimpse into the constant fear that those in hiding endured.
After the war, Miep retrieved parts of Anne's diaries and kept them in her desk drawer, intending to return them to Anne. However, upon learning of Anne's death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, she gave the diaries to Anne's father, Otto Frank, who published them. Miep's efforts ensured that Anne's writings were preserved for posterity, and they have since been translated into 70 languages and sold about 30 million copies.
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Betrayal and deportation
On August 4, 1944, the hiding place of Anne Frank, her family, and four other Dutch Jews was betrayed, likely by a Dutch woman named Lena Hartog-van Bladeren, who worked as a cleaner in the office in front of the annex. The eight people living in the annex, including Anne Frank, were arrested by the Nazis and taken to Gestapo headquarters in Amsterdam. Miep Gies, who had helped hide the group, rushed to Gestapo headquarters to plead for their release, but her efforts were in vain.
Two of the five people who had helped hide the group were sent to concentration camps. Gies herself was spared because she was Austrian by birth, and the arresting officer was also Austrian. Gies was ordered to be deported back to Austria (then annexed by Germany) within 90 days, as her passport had been invalidated due to her refusal to join a Nazi women's association. However, she evaded deportation by marrying her husband, Jan Gies, in 1941, which allowed her to obtain Dutch citizenship.
After the betrayal and arrest of the group, Miep and her colleague Bep Voskuijl retrieved parts of Anne Frank's diaries from the hiding place before it was emptied by the authorities. They stored the diaries in a desk drawer, ensuring they did not fall into the hands of the German occupiers. Miep intended to give the diaries back to Anne, but after learning that Anne had been murdered in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, she gave them to Anne's father, Otto Frank, the sole survivor from the Secret Annex.
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Miep's sleepless night
Miep Gies was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II. On one particular night, Anne persuaded Miep to sleep over in the attic. Miep spent a sleepless night on Anne's small, hard bed. The church clock across the garden chimed at 15-minute intervals, and she could hear her own heart pounding. She felt what it was like to be imprisoned in those small rooms and experienced a glimpse of the constant fear that Anne and the others endured.
Miep Gies was born in Vienna, Austria, on February 15, 1909, to Karoline Maria Santrouschitz. In December 1920, at the age of eleven, she was sent to Leiden to live with a foster family, the Nieuwenburgs, to escape the food shortages in Austria after World War I. She moved with her foster family to Amsterdam in 1922. In 1933, she began working for Otto Frank, a Jewish businessman who had relocated to the Netherlands to protect his family from Nazi persecution.
Miep worked as a secretary in the office of Otto Frank, which was located at the front of the same building where the hiding place was. She and her husband, Jan Gies, were regular guests at the Franks' home. Miep's fluency in Dutch and German helped the Frank family assimilate into Dutch society.
On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed, and the eight people living in the annex were arrested by the Nazis. Miep bravely pleaded for their release but was unsuccessful. Two of the five people who helped hide the group were sent to concentration camps. Miep was spared due to her Austrian birth, as was the arresting officer. After the war, Miep and her colleague Bep Voskuijl retrieved parts of Anne Frank's diary and stored them in their desk drawer. Miep gave the diary to Otto Frank, the sole survivor from the Secret Annex.
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Arrest and imprisonment
On 4 August 1944, the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family was betrayed, likely by a Dutch woman named Lena Hartog-van Bladeren, who worked as a cleaner in the office in front of the annex. The eight people in hiding, including Anne and her family, as well as their helpers, Johannes Kleiman and Victor Kugler, were arrested by the Nazis and taken to Gestapo headquarters in Amsterdam.
During the arrest, Miep Gies, one of the office staff, was confronted by a short man holding a revolver. The police officers walked into Victor Kugler's office and questioned him before taking him with them to search the building. They discovered the entrance to the Secret Annex, where the group had been hiding for over two years.
After the arrest, Miep made a desperate attempt to secure the release of those who had been arrested. She walked into the headquarters of the Sicherheitsdienst, but her efforts were in vain. However, Johannes Kleiman was released after a few weeks, providing some relief to those who remained. Miep and the other helpers kept the business running, hoping for the return of their friends.
Of the eight people in hiding, only Otto Frank survived the war. Miep discovered Anne's diary among the debris left by the Nazis and kept it safe, later returning it to Otto when he returned to Amsterdam. Miep's courageous actions ensured that Anne Frank's name and story would be known around the world.
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Miep's bravery
Miep Gies' bravery is evident in her actions to protect Anne Frank, her family, and four other Dutch Jews from the Nazis during World War II. Miep, who worked as a secretary for Otto Frank, helped hide the group in an annex above Otto's business premises. She refused to join a Nazi women's association, an act of defiance that put her at risk of deportation. Miep's fluency in Dutch and German was also crucial in helping the Frank family assimilate into Dutch society.
On one occasion, Miep spent a sleepless night in the attic, where Anne and the others hid. She endured a taste of the fear and helplessness they felt daily, listening to her heart pound as the church clock chimed every 15 minutes. Miep's bravery extended beyond hiding the group; she also played a crucial role in preserving Anne's diary. Along with her colleague Bep Voskuijl, Miep retrieved parts of Anne's diary from the hiding place before it was emptied by the authorities. Miep stored the writings in her desk drawer, unread, intending to return them to Anne. Only after learning of Anne's murder in a concentration camp did Miep give the diary to Otto Frank, the sole survivor from the Secret Annex.
Miep's courage did not go unrecognized. She received the Raoul Wallenberg Award for Bravery in 1994 and The Righteous Amongst the Nations Award the same year. Miep's actions not only helped protect Anne Frank and her family from capture for over two years but also ensured that Anne's diary, a powerful testament to their ordeal, was preserved for posterity. Miep's dedication, selflessness, and courage in the face of immense danger exemplify her bravery and her status as a true hero.
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Frequently asked questions
Hermine "Miep" Gies was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank, her family, and four other Dutch Jews from the Nazis during World War II.
Anne Frank persuaded Miep to sleep over in the attic one night. Miep spent a sleepless night on Anne's small, hard bed, listening to the church clock across the garden chime at 15-minute intervals and her own heart pound. She became aware of the fear that those in hiding endured day and night.
On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed, and the eight people living in the annex were arrested by the Nazis and taken to Gestapo headquarters in Amsterdam. Miep pleaded for their release, but in vain.
Anne Frank was deported to Auschwitz and murdered in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
