This Valletta exhibition offers a glimpse into the short life of Anne Frank

A visit to Fort St Elmo is set to treat you to something extra special in the coming weeks… 

This historical fort is currently hosting an exhibition that providing insight into Anne Frank’s life, aptly named ‘Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank’.  

The exhibition, organised by the Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta in collaboration with the Anne Frank House of Amsterdam, has already been hosted by various different venues around Malta and Gozo, such as the University of Malta Valletta Campus and the MCAST in Paola.  

The exhibition at Fort St Elmo will be open to the public until 1st June, at which point it will move to its next and final venue – the ‘Il-Ħaġar’ museum in Rabat, Gozo.  

Credit: Heritage Malta

‘Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank’ is aimed to help children and youths better understand the events that shaped Anne Frank’s life. This is communicated through photos, artefacts, videos, and a model of the place where the young girl and her family hid from the Nazis.  

The entire exhibition represents Anne Frank’s short life from her birth in 1929 until her death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.  

Who is Anne Frank?  

Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany, of Jewish heritage. When she was four, the Nazi Party gained control of Germany, and her family decided to move to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.  

Credit: Heritage Malta

As the Nazi persecution of the Jews increased, in July 1942, the family went into hiding in rooms concealed by a bookcase in the building where Anne’s father worked. The four family members stayed there for almost two years, until they were caught and sent to a concentration camp. Once there, the father was separated from his wife and daughters and never saw them again.  

Her diary, in which she regularly expressed her thoughts and feelings, was the only thing she left behind. When her father – the only surviving family member – returned to Amsterdam after the war, he found the diary and published it in 1947.  

Know before you go:  

Where: Fort St Elmo 

When: From Tuesday to Sunday between 9am and 4.30pm.  

Ticket: The exhibition is included in the standard admission price. 

Main image: Heritage Malta