Barracks ablaze in Westerbork
Photo: AFP
Anne Frank. Died in Bergen-Belsen
Fire consumes Anne Frank's camp barracks
Two barracks from Westerbork work camp, one of which was occupied by Anne Frank and her sister Margot during Holocaust, burn down Saturday night. Cause of fire remains unclear
A fire that broke out Saturday night in northeast Holland destroyed two wooden barracks, one of which was occupied by Anne Frank and her sister when they were detained in a Dutch work camp towards the end of WWII before being deported to Auschwitz.
Radio Netherlands reported that the two barracks were originally located at camp Westerbork, in the east of the country, where Dutch Jews were detained before being deported to Nazi death camps. In 1957, the two barracks were sold and transferred to the nearby village of Veendam, where they were used to store farming equipment.
One of the barracks, barrack number 57, was slated to be moved back to Westerbork as part of the site's Holocaust memorial center. The fire, however, entirely consumed both barracks. It is still unclear what caused the fire or if arson can be ruled out.
Anne Frank, made famous by her diary published after her death, was transferred to the detainment camp in August 1944 together with her sister Margot. The two sisters were detained at the camp for a number of weeks, during which time they were subjected to forced labor by the Nazis.
Anne Frank was deported to Auschwitz in the last transport leaving Westerbork. She died in Bergen-Belsen just weeks before the camp was liberated by the Allied forces.
