Q: Tell me about the Anne Frank Museum in the Parkside Shopping Center off of Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.
A: While the Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945 exhibit has been at other locations around Atlanta for about 20 years, the museum has been at its current home for about 10.
“It’s a copy of a very famous exhibit. It’s one of many, many copies that are around the world that was first created by the Anne Frank House and the Anne Frank Trust in the 80s,” said Communications Manager for the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Fran Putney.
“One of the things that’s our mission is to serve the entire state of Georgia,” she said.
The self-guided tour begins with a short film about Anne Frank and the history surrounding her life.
Hidden behind a bookcase hang 74 panels that showcase over 600 photos, descriptive paragraphs and captions that tell stories that span through the years. Timelines of major historical events - The Great Depression, Stories of World War II, the Holocaust and of Anne Frank’s life - educate and help you understand that period of time.
It is through Frank’s diary written by the young Jewish girl, while in hiding with her family in Amsterdam, that we are shown her life and struggles.
Following the panels is a model of the hiding place, known as the Secret Annex, of the Frank family and helpers.
A recreation of Anne Frank’s room displays a covered window, two single beds, a nightstand, a small desk and chair.
Past her room is a board that holds 200 scrolls of quotes from her diary rolled up. “What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again,” Anne Frank wrote.
According to the Executive Director for the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Sally Levine, nearly 6,000 visitors come through annually. The museum is supported by the State of Georgia and Visit Sandy Springs, the city’s hospitality agency.
“The majority of our visitors are not Jewish and believe it or not, some people know very little about the Holocaust or Anne Frank. They are surprised to learn more about it,” Putney said. “When people are leaving the museum they comment that this is needed more now than ever.
“This is not just history from over 70 years ago, but important to look at how this all came about and could happen again in different forms and shapes,” she said.
The museum is currently closed due to COVID-19.
Parkside Shopping Center, 5920 Roswell Road, Suite A-209, Sandy Springs (770-206-1558).
Visit: https://holocaust.georgia.gov
New to town or simply have a question about this place we call home? Email your request to atlactualfact@gmail.com
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