Estate Planning

Miep Gies - The Last Survivor of the Anne Frank Story, Dies at 100

By Hull & Hull LLP

Although the name "Miep Gies" may not be familiar to you, she was a key player in a story you almost certainly know.  Miep Gies, together with four others, provided a hiding spot for Anne Frank and her family as well as 4 others during WWII.  This act would have been enough to make her a hero.  Mrs. Gies' role did not stop there: without her help there is a good chance the world would never have seen Anne Frank's diaries published.  Mrs. Gies discovered Anne's diaries and gave them to Anne's father at the end of the war, allowing for their eventual publication.  

I am sure that, for many, reading Anne's diary was a memorable experience.  It certainly was for me.  So much so, that when I visited Amsterdam I sought out the Anne Frank Museum to view the hiding place which Mrs. Gies and her fellow protectors risked their lives for to provide to the Frank family.   It was a truly humbling experience.

Mrs. Gies was the last survivor of both the protectors of Anne and her family.  She was the last living connection to the 'Anne Frank story'.  While she maintained that her actions did not make her a hero, I beg to differ.  Her courage and thoughtfulness will live on forever through Anne's story, and although her passing is a true loss, it allows us to remember and once again reflect on her heroism. 
 

Until tomorrow, Nadia
 

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on January 19, 2010 (boomark / email).