Peter Van Daan - BBC - The Diary Of Anne Frank - Biographies

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Biographies

Peter van Daan

About Peter

In her diary, Anne gave the Van Pels family the pseudonym Van Daan. Peter was the only child of Auguste (pseudonym Petronella) and Hermann van Pels and was born on 8 November 1926 in Osnabrück, Germany.

Before the Secret Annex

Peter and his family lived in Germany until 1937, before moving to Amsterdam to escape the persecution by the Nazi party. In Amsterdam, the Van Pelses met the Franks and Peter's father Hermann became a business partner of Otto Frank.

The Van Pelses had been trying to emigrate to the United States, and when the notices for Jews to return to Germany to work in labour camps became more frequent, they decided they couldn't wait any longer. They joined the Frank family in the Secret Annex on 13 July 1942.

During the Secret Annex

Initially, Anne thought little of Peter, but as he became more confident, taking on handyman roles around the annex, Anne's opinion of him changed. Romance blossomed, but in the close confines of the Secret Annex, it was brief.

After the Secret Annex

After the raid in August 1944, Peter was transferred with the rest of the inhabitants to Westerbork camp and then on to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

He watched as his father and a group of men were marched away, only later to see a truck return with just their clothing. As the Russians approached, the Nazis evacuated the camp and after a long march from Auschwitz, Peter ended up at Mauthausen concentration camp, where he died on 5 May 1945.

Geoff Breton

Geoff's Career Highlights

Geoff played the lead role of Ben in the screen adaptation of Jonathan Coe's novel The Rotters Club. He has also appeared in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop.

Geoff on Peter

"Peter grew up in the annex, as did Anne of course, in different ways. However, unlike Anne, I feel Peter didn't regret having to spend his youth locked up. I don't imagine he felt the time was a waste.

"The unimaginable boredom of living inside the annex pushed him into a creative frame of mind. He became very active - expanding his initiative, seeing what he could help with or build for the house. I think he recognised the major need for him to become a strong man as soon as possible."

Annex Occupants and Helpers

Anne Frank

Otto Frank

Margot Frank

Edith Frank

Petronella van Daan

Hermann van Daan

Albert Dussel

Miep Gies

Bep Voskuijl

Johannes Kleiman

Victor Kugler

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