The Anne Frank Zentrum
The Anne Frank Zentrum in Berlin is a partner organisation of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Its main focus is to promote across Germany the memory of Anne Frank and her famous diary. The activities of the Anne Frank Zentrum seek to strengthen the values of freedom, equality and democracy and combat Antisemitism, racism and discrimination.
The Anne Frank Zentrum displays the exhibition »Anne Frank. here & now« in Berlin and coordinates travelling exhibition projects throughout Germany. It develops proposals that serve to explore the causes and consequences of the Holocaust and it also offers special one-day events, seminars and opportunities for continuing education.
The pedagogical programmes developed by the Zentrum are especially aimed at young people, who are encouraged to become more active citizens, more aware of their societal responsibilities and also to learn to make the most of their freedom to participate in society.
History
The foundation of the Anne Frank Zentrum in Berlin goes back to an initiative in 1994. At the time the showing of the international travelling exhibition »The world of Anne Frank. 1929-1945« was being prepared in Berlin. The exhibition was shown in six boroughs of the city to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism. Specifically to support the coordination of the exhibition and the extensive accompanying programme a Society of Friends was founded.
With this organisation as a basis, efforts were made towards the founding of the Anne Frank Zentrum in Berlin so that the work on the topics of the exhibition could be continued. To this end the existing Anne Frank Centres in Great Britain and the USA offered guidance.
On completion of a cooperation agreement with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam the Anne Frank Zentrum was finally opened on 12 June 1998. Since then numerous visitors, youth groups and school classes have been coming to the Anne Frank Zentrum from Berlin and the whole country. Since September 2002 the Anne Frank Zentrum has been based next to the Hackesche Höfe at 39 Rosenthaler Strasse in Berlin.