Anne Frank Memorial honors struggle for peace in Boise

In this country many people enjoy basic freedoms which are human rights. At what cost however did those freedoms come to us? The answer of course is at a very high cost. Because of this, it’s sometimes important to reflect upon the beauty of our freedoms  thanking God for them, and remembering the sacrifices generations of people made, so that we citizens of the United States could live in a country brimming with equality, freedom, prosperity, and hope for a better future.

History is packed with stories of individuals who fought against injustice and helped promote equal rights. Human rights activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham Lincoln, Lakrisha Monte, Betty Freudian, and Rosa Park’s philosophies and principles helped eliminate intolerance and prejudices in their generations, today in ours. Similar to the individuals mentioned previously, Anne Frank’s story illustrates one of the many important lessons history has to teach us about embracing diversity, pursuing peace, expelling compassion, and showing love among humankind.  Anne clearly defined the prejudices and hatred around her, because she felt them. Anne didn’t commit treason against her country or her God, instead rather Anne Frank as well as 6 million other people was hated, and died a martyr because she was a Jew. Anne was the youngest daughter of Otto and Edith Frank. Anne was a German born Jew who lived in Amsterdam during the German occupation in 1942. The Nazi regime forced the entire Frank family, the Van Daan family, and an acquaintance, Mr. Dussel, into hiding in an Annex above Otto Frank’s office. This took place soon after Anne celebrated her 13^th birthday. The families collected food with the help of Otto’s associates, and two years passed with the families still in hiding. Anne’s diary told the story of the personal hopes, and dreams of a 13 year old adolescent girl living in isolation and fear of discovery by the Nazis.  Anne’s entries in her diary flowed from descriptions of daily activities, to uncertain feelings toward her first crush, and later questions about basic humanity, and religious persecution. A poster in the Human Rights Memorial describes the tragic end of Anne’s life, as well as the hope her legacy brought to millions of people. “Anne’s diary ended after two years of entries on August 1st 1944. She was arrested and imprisoned at Bergen Belsen concentration camp where she died of starvation, exposure, brutality, and disease at age 15. Anne Frank’s diary is a worldwide bestselling nonfiction novel which has been translated into more than 60 languages. It is regarded by most historians as one of the most important documents of the 20^th century.” This very real look into the mind of an innocent young girl in Nazi occupied Amsterdam is the inspiration for the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial.  The Memorial is located at 770 S. 8th St next to the Idaho Human Rights Education Center. This memorial is a tribute to “nature,” “art,” and “activism.” Kurt Karst, an Idaho Falls architect designed the Memorial which mixes the beauty of natural elements, with the message of hope in humanity. The memorial is categorized into three main areas.  The Human Rights Wall, the complete text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the statue of Anne Frank. The one hundred eighty foot long human rights wall holds fifty four quotations about humanity, justice, and peace derived from slaves, to former presidents, as well as quotes by Anne Frank herself. “If God lets me live-I shall not remain insignificant. I shall work in the world and for Mankind.” Anne M. Frank April 4, 1944. The wall is a marvelous work of stone, with a pristine waterfall, and stream winding next to it. The second area in the memorial consists of the complete Universal declaration of Human Rights, a stone writing table, and a reproduction of Anne’s diary. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was established by the United Nations December 10, 1948 proclaiming the “inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms of all people.  It also promotes social progress, freedom and better standards of life.” The third area of the memorial is and amphitheater which surrounds the statue of Anne Frank, who’s “peering out from behind a window with the narrow steps of Amsterdam behind her.” The statue of Anne Frank was sculpted by Greg Stone of Massachusetts, and paid for by funds collected by Idaho school children. The amphitheater is meant to be an outdoor gathering place for meetings, presentations, and assemblies promoting human rights. This memorial site, which is located near the heart of Boise, is one of the most beautiful sites here. The dedication and work of the artists, contractors, architects, and the Idaho Human Rights Education Center who donated the memorial to the city in 2002, is very evident. Everyone should take time to visit this breathtaking memorial, and to reflect upon their own personal freedoms, and appreciate those individuals who died for those causes.       

Lindsey Parker
Culture Writer

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