Otto Frank
Otto Heinrich Frank, born on May 12, 1889, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, was a German businessman who became known as the father of Anne Frank, whose diary became world-famous. Otto was the only member of his immediate family to survive the Holocaust, and he was instrumental in the publication of Anne's diary after the war. His efforts helped to shed light on the horrors of the war and the enduring human spirit.
Before the outbreak of World War II, Otto Frank ran a successful spice and pectin business. However, as the situation for Jews in Germany worsened, he relocated his family to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where he hoped they would be safe from Nazi persecution. It was here that the family went into hiding in 1942, in the secret annex of Otto's business premises. Despite the constant threat of discovery, Otto managed to keep his family and several others concealed with the help of his business associates until their betrayal in 1944.
After the war, Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam, where he received Anne's diary from Miep Gies. Realizing the importance of Anne's writings, he took on the task of editing and finding a publisher for the diary. The publication of the diary brought Anne's insightful observations to a global audience, making her a symbol of the victimization of Jews during the Holocaust. Otto dedicated the rest of his life to preserving Anne's memory and promoting education about the Holocaust, until his death on August 19, 1980.