Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
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By Thomas Rushton
Having never heard a bad review, I was more than excited to experience the Anne Frank exhibition first hand after purchasing tickets prior to my trip to Amsterdam. Being warned about the queue rumours, which I can confirm are true, I purchased my tickets for a small £14 online and can honestly say it was money well spent, purely just to skip the queues.
When first entering the exhibition you will be handed a paper guide, with the purpose to explain what artifacts are in each room and, also, so you know what direction the tour is set out. You can even opt to have a tour guide show you round for additional charges. However, the paper guide is straightforward.
The exhibition was full to the brim, even having queues to access the various sections. However, the noise levels were low, with people too busy reading the information displayed and taking in their surroundings. The place had a really airy feeling. It was as if people thought speaking too loud was disrespectful. After all, the building, then known as the ‘Secret Annex’, was once the hiding place of the wartime diarist and her family along with four others during the Nazi persecution. Although Anne Frank herself did not survive the war, her wartime diary was published back in 1957.
You can take easily around 20 minutes in each section if you have a thorough look round, although some people prefer to just pass through and listen to the automated scripting that explains briefly what is in said section. It was a real eye opener seeing artifacts so close up and I enjoyed taking my time having a good look at them.
On average, it should take around an hour and a half to visit every room in the exhibition and, with a lot to take in, it can feel a little overwhelming at times. Gasps of horror can be heard all around upon discovering what Anne Frank, her family and friends went through.
The exhibition is located on a canal named, ‘Prinsengracht’. For those bad with directions, head to Amsterdam Central. It is walking distance from there. The Anne Frank Foundation, which funds the cost of the exhibition, came about when property developers wanted to demolish the canal house and the museum was opened on 3rd May 1960. The exhibition attracted on estimate 1.2 million visitors in 2013/14, making it the third most visited museum in the Netherlands. After visiting, I felt very informed, learning about Anne Frank’s experience when in hiding.
The only downside was that the majority of the original building is covered up, which I personally found a little disappointing. I assumed the original structure would still be intact. However, the only room left untouched was the top floor. Everywhere else had been refurbished, I can only assume for safety reasons.
Taking a trip back in time to get the feeling of what living a day in the life of Anne Frank was like is definitely something I would do again. The exhibition may not be to everyone’s taste, it isn’t the most exciting activity to get involved in whilst in Amsterdam, however it is one of the most interesting.
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