By Kalea Whitley

By all accounts, Anne Frank was one of the most influential and inspiring young women in history. The cherished diary that she received for the 13th birthday on June 12, 1942, serves as a look inside the fear and emotions of children and civilians in hiding at the time.

Her 300 pages of firsthand information about her hidden life, her living conditions, Secret Annex drama and even brief home-school life sold more than 30 million copies and has been translated into 75 languages. A million people tour the Anne Frank House each year.

I read the book when I was 12 years old and realized that her observations were similar to most teenage girls, even now. I could relate to some of what she wrote about, especially her school life. But I could not relate to the real threat to Anne and her family — Nazi soldiers focused on hunting Jewish families to transport them to concentration camps. I wanted to see her home for myself.

My aunt gifted me and my parents with a 12-day trip to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, one that I will never forget because of being able to see Anne's Secret Annex. The building resides in the heart of Amsterdam, and our tour took us through the five small rooms where the diary was written. The Frank family lived there for about two years with a few other people, including Peter van Pels, Anne's first — and only — boyfriend.

Among the key items that I wrote into my notebook were that the Frank family (her father Otto, mother Edith and older sister Margot) moved to the Netherlands at the beginning of the Nazi regime in 1933, when Adolf Hitler became German chancellor, but the war did not come to the Netherlands until seven years later, in 1940. This makes me sad because for those seven years they had no idea what was to come.

The Secret Annex, their world hidden behind a swinging bookcase, was cramped and short of air. The stairs were narrow and steep, and tall people had to be careful not to hit their heads. My aunt pointed out that most people touring the rooms were from around the world — all eerily silent as they focused on the photos and commentary.

Words from Anne's diary were projected onto the walls: "When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirit revives!" (April 5, 1944) and "I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support" (June 12, 1942, from the first page in the diary).

The museum's "Podcatchers" made for a seamless audio-visual tour that told the whole story. Paired with everyone's silence, they provided a comfortable experience, but the horrific story they told about how much it affected the family was everything but comfortable. Anne died at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp along with 6 million other Jewish people. Of the family, only her father survived, dying in 1980 at age 91. It is widely believed that the family was found because an informant tipped off the authorities.

Other experiences that made me emotional were seeing the diary in person, along with old photos of famous people — movie stars, British royalty and politicians — that Anne had pasted to the wall. I realized even more how truly similar she was to almost every teen girl in the world, and it made her story even heavier and sadder to think about.

Visiting the Anne Frank House is an experience everyone should have at least once to immerse themselves in history and seek awareness from the source, to learn from history so that it isn't repeated. My aunt was touring the house for the fourth time, and I am grateful to her for giving me this opportunity.

WHEN YOU GO

Tickets for the Anne Frank House cost about $19, $8 for youths. They need to be booked online about six weeks ahead. The website contains detailed information. A cafe, gift shop and complimentary coat check are available. Large bags are not permitted, nor are photos: annefrank.org.

Anne Frank's Secret Annex was located in an unassuming building in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Sharon Whitley Larsen.

Visitors from around the world line up to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Sharon Whitley Larsen.

The author and her aunt pose beside a sculpture of Anne Frank created by Mari Andriessen in 1977 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Carl H. Larsen.

Kalea Whitley is the 15-year-old niece of freelance writer Sharon Whitley Larsen. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at creators.com.

Anne Frank's Secret Annex was located in an unassuming building in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Sharon Whitley Larsen.