Annelies Marie Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany, where her family lived at the time. Anne was born Jewish. Her mother, Edith, and father, Otto, had another daughter, Margot, born in 1926. Shortly after Anne's birth, the Frank family moved to a stucco duplex on the outskirts of Frankfurt, at 307 Marbachweg . They lived on the first two floors of the right half. With the help of their housekeeper, Kathi Stilgenbauer, Edith took care of her precious baby, who was suffering from colic and had some breathing problems. Anne's grandmothers, Rosa Hollander and Alice Frank, visited her often. This little girl would one day grow up to write a powerful journal that would influence many, but she had a simple childhood at first, with a world of change around her. When Germany lost World War I, every country wanted them to repay their debt for the costs of the war. They owed thirty-two billion dollars that they didn't have. All of Germany began to suffer from hunger, job losses, and other hardships. The National Socialist German Workers' Party, or Nazi, began to rise up against the Communists. They elected Adolf Hitler as their leader. The Jews became the target of the frustration faced by the Germans. They needed to find someone to blame. The Jews were a narrow religious group. The economy was collapsing and all fingers were pointing at the Jews. As young people, Margot and Anne were very sheltered. They had many neighbors with whom they befriended and lived simply. In 1929 Kathi Stilgenbauer moved to get married. By this time, there were many men patrolling the streets from Nazi parties who harassed and threatened local Jews. As everything fell apart, more and more people began to listen... middle of paper... they knew they couldn't be seen with their suitcases, so they had to pile on as many clothes as possible to get to their destination. Before leaving Margot and Miep cycled to the hideout to open it. The family followed him on foot with shopping bags and coats still bearing the yellow Star of David. The Frank family went into hiding expecting to be gone for a short period of time. No one could predict how long the war would last. All the events of Anne Frank's childhood led to the famous story of the young Jewish girl living in the secret annex, who wrote a diary of the tragic moments and events around her. Anne Frank's story and diary will live on for generations to come and will continue to inspire everyone. Works Cited Hermann, Spring. Anne Frank: Hope in the Shadow of the Holocaust. Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publishers Inc, 2005.