Anne Frank’s words, written in the pages of a red-checkered diary, have echoed across generations, offering a glimpse into the hopes and fears of a young girl hidden away from the horrors of war. Her story continues to inspire and educate through a new exhibit at Capital University.
Capital University Library Services and the Department of History presents “Anne Frank: A History for Today.” Curated by the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina, the official U.S. partner of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the exhibition tells the story of Anne against the backdrop of the Holocaust and the Second World War.
From Feb. 3 through Feb. 28, visitors are encouraged to visit campus to explore the exhibit through a scheduled tour led by Capital students. The nearly 1,000-square-foot exhibit features 32 panels chronicling both the story of Anne Frank and her family against the backdrop of the rise of Nazi Germany and World War II.
“My role in the Anne Frank exhibit is serving as a student docent, meaning I guide visitors through the exhibit and help share Anne’s story,” said Isabelle Hanning ’25, history and literature. “I signed up for this role because telling history is a passion of mine. I firmly believe in the idea that if we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Given everything happening in the world today, it is more important than ever for people to understand the history of World War II and the Holocaust so that nothing like it ever happens again.”
The exhibit aims to inform visitors about the history of the Holocaust from the perspective of Anne Frank and her family; show visitors that differences between people exist in all societies; encourage visitors to analyze the concepts of intolerance, persecution, exclusion, mutual respect, human rights, democracy, and their meaning for us; and convince visitors that the creation of a society in which differences between people are respected is not something automatic.
“Anne Frank’s story is particularly powerful because her personal narrative is so relatable – she was just a young girl caught in the middle of unimaginable, irrational hatred. Her diary allows audiences, both young and old, to connect with the past in a deeply personal way,” said Hanning. “I hope this exhibit encourages visitors to reflect on the Holocaust in ways they may not have before. I’m honored to be part of something that fosters such important conversations.”
Capital was able to bring the “Anne Frank: A History for Today” exhibit to campus through the hard work of Matthew Cook, head librarian, Meghan Crawford, institutional memory and scholarship librarian, Andy Carlson, professor of history, and Alan Katchen.
Crawford originally brought the idea to Cook through her Master of Library and Information Science work in museum studies. She had an interest in Holocaust studies and came across the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina.
“I did a phone interview with a museum employee and a few months later I was invited to attend their Train the Trainer program,” said Crawford. “I went and it was an incredible experience, very immersive. I brought the idea of bringing the exhibit to Capital to Matthew and it really started to take off.”
“Something that caught my attention very quickly was its focus on getting the students involved and the direction of the actual exhibit itself. I’ve worked with the Signature Learning Committee here at Capital for a very long time, and one of the areas we’ve discussed is experiential learning and learning outside of the classroom,” said Cook.
Through their hard work, Crawford and Cook were able to secure funding from The Bexley Foundation and Ohio Holocaust Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, and Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission (OHGMEC).
“In addition to providing financial support, the OHGMEC became an essential resource for us. They’ve been a great asset, and we were able to start dreaming a little further,” said Crawford. “In addition to having the exhibit, is there anything else we can have to complement the experience?”
“It wasn’t just a hand off of money,” Cook added. “They started introducing us to new ideas. Part of the grant was to work directly with them, thankfully so. That started to expand the scope, and we got ambitious.”
Community members, along with Capital students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to sign up for a guided tour. The tour schedule was created with eighth- through twelfth-grade schools in mind and local businesses have opened their doors in collaboration (with?) the historic exhibit.
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, “Eva’s Promise” was shown at the Drexel Theater, an event hosted by Capital University and the OHGMEC, and on January 27, Capital welcomed Debbi Sugarman to campus to speak about the legacy of her father and survivor, Morris Dach.
For more information about the “Anne Frank: A History for Today” exhibit and to sign up for a guided tour, visit http://capital.libcal.com/calendar/AnneFrankatCapital?cid=21196&t=d&d=0000-00-00&cal=21196&inc=0.