Anne's death

Anne’s death

It’s cold. So terribly cold. It’s February 1945. Who still takes notice of the time? It’s cold. That’s it. And there’s almost nothing. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no warm clothes, no blankets, no decent bed to sleep in. There are only many, many hungry, completely crushed people. Wherever you look, they wander around aimlessly looking for… well, what actually? Only death, disease, misery and hopelessness are to be found.

‘Anne!’

One of the people in the middle of the shadows in the camp is Auguste van Pels. She’s just had an extraordinary meeting and can’t wait to tell Anne about it.

Anne and Margot, like Auguste van Pels, have ended up in Bergen-Belsen in Germany. About six months ago they were taken from the Annexe to Westerbork transit camp. From there they had to go to Auschwitz, the German concentration camp in Poland. Margot and Anne were unexpectedly moved on again. Mother’s still in Auschwitz.

Since arriving in Auschwitz they haven’t seen father. That applies to Peter, Mr van Pels and Mr Pfeffer too. They’ve lost everyone. But Mrs van Pels has news for Anne. She’s found someone who’s very dear to Anne. That’ll certainly do her good.

Anne’s ill. She’s got typhus. It’s an infectious disease that you catch extra quickly if you’re weakened and conditions are dirty. You get a fever and stomach ache and have to vomit. Because everyone is weak and hygiene is virtually non-existent, more or less everyone has typhus. Margot too.

‘Anne, I’ve found your friend. It’s Hanneli. She’s here too!’

Hanneli. That’s unbelievable news. In the Annexe Anne had dreamed about her. In her dream Hanneli had ended up in a dreadful camp, while Anne was safe in the Annexe. They haven’t seen or spoken to each other for two and a half years. Now she’s here. In the middle of all those ten thousand people, Mrs van Pels has found her.

Hanneli will come to the barbed wire that evening. She’ll stand on one side and Anne on the other. At least, if it works. They’ll run a huge risk. People from different parts of the camp aren’t allowed contact with each other and there are watch towers everywhere. Reeds have been woven through the barbed wire to form a high fence between Anne’s part of the camp and Hanneli’s. So they won’t be able to see each other. And they’ll have little time. But they’re going to try.

That evening both of them walk along the barbed wire and softly call each other’s name. ‘Anne.’ ‘Hanneli.’ They keep walking along the barbed wire until they find each other. Then they quickly whisper something to each other. Hanneli says she is in the camp with her granny, father and sister. And she thought that Anne was safely in Switzerland. Anne says that her father and mother are dead. It can hardly be otherwise. That Margot is very sick. And that she’s terribly hungry.

Hanneli’s in a part of the camp where it’s a bit better because they sometimes get food parcels. She promises Anne to go and look for something to eat. A couple of days later they’ll meet each other again.

‘Hanneli.’
‘Anne, are you there?’
‘Yes, here.’
‘I’ll throw a package over the barbed wire. Here it comes.’

Hanneli has scraped together some food. It’s not much but for Anne and Margot, who are now extremely weak, it’s of vital importance. Then Hanneli hears someone crying. It’s Anne. She didn’t catch the package. Another woman did and she’s sped off with the loot.

Hanneli tries to lift Anne’s spirits. And she promises to try again. Two days later they succeed. Anne has found Hanneli again and this time she catches the package. She’ll open it quickly with Margot, who is now so ill. ‘We’ll talk here again at the barbed wire,’ they agree.

How could they know that this would be the last time they would hear each other’s voices?