Almost 80 years after her tragic death in concentration camp Bergen-Belsen, Anne Frank still figures prominently in the public domain. Over the years, her diary and her life story have been the subject of an expansive output of adaptations and engagements, giving her an iconic status. While there is an unabated interest in Anne Frank, new generations connect to her on their own terms and within their own, rapidly changing, media landscape. It poses a challenge to us to open up to their worlds and to find new ways to tell the story of Anne Frank.

Ronald Leopold, Director of the Anne Frank House Museum, graduated in 1985 with a degree in history from the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. After his studies, he worked at the General Pension Fund for Public Employees, where he was responsible for the implementation of legislation affecting war victims. In 1990 he moved to the Pensions and Benefits Council, which he directed from 2006. In 2011, he assumed the Directorship of the Anne Frank House.

This lecture is made possible by the Johan Snapper Endowment for Dutch Studies in recognition of the program’s founder Professor Emeritus Johan Snapper.

Welcome reception with lecture to follow.