eiman has taken over opekta； and mr。
kugler； gies & co。； the pany dealing in spices and spice substitutes that was set up in 1941。
a few days ago； as we were taking a stroll around our neighborhood square； father began to talk about going into hiding。 he said it would be very hard for us to live cut off from the rest of the world。 i asked him why he was bringing this up now。
〃well； anne；〃 he replied； 〃you know that for more than a year weve been bringing clothes； food and furniture to other people。 we dont want our belongings to be seized by the germans。 nor do we want to fall into their clutches ourselves。 so well leave of our own accord and not wait to be hauled away。”
〃but when； father？〃 he sounded so serious that i felt scared。
〃dont you worry。 well take care of everything。 just enjoy your carefree life while you can。”
that was it。 oh； may these somber words not e true for as long as possible。
the doorbells ringing； hellos here； time to stop。
yours； anne
wednesday； july 8； 1942
dearest kitty；
it seems like years since sunday morning。 so much has happened its as if the whole world had suddenly turned upside down。 but as you can see； kitty； im still alive； and thats the main thing； father says。 im alive all right； but dont ask where or how。 you probably dont understand a word im saying today； so ill begin by telling you what happened sunday afternoon。
at three oclock （hello had left but was supposed to e back later）； the doorbell rang。 i didnt hear it； since i was out on the balcony； lazily reading in the sun。 a little while later margot appeared in the kitchen doorway looking very agitated。 〃father has received a call…up notice from the ss；〃 she whispered。 〃mother has gone to see mr。
van daan〃 （mr。 van daan is fathers business partner and a good friend。）
i was stunned。 a call…up： everyone knows what that means。 visions of concentration camps and lonely cells raced through my head。 how could we let father go to such a fate？ 〃of course hes not going；〃 declared margot as we waited for mother in the living room。 〃mothers gone to mr。 van daan to ask whether we can move to our hiding place tomorrow。 the van daans are going with us。 there will be seven of us altogether。〃 silence。 we couldnt speak。 the thought of father off visiting someone in the jewish hospital and pletely unaware of what was happening； the long wait for mother； the heat； the suspense …… all this reduced us to silence。
suddenly the doorbell rang again。 〃thats hello；〃 i said。
〃dont open the door！〃 exclaimed margot to stop me。 but it wasnt necessary； since we heard mother and mr。 van daan downstairs talking to hello； and then the two of them came inside and shut the door behind them。 every time the bell rang； either margot or i had to tiptoe downstairs to see if it was father； and we didnt let anyone else in。 margot and i were sent from the room； as mr。 van daan wanted to talk to mother alone。
when she and i were sitting in our bedroom； margot told me that the call…up was not for father； but for her。 at this second shock； i began to cry。 margot is sixteen …… apparently they want to send girls her age away on their own。 but thank goodness she wont be going； mother had said so herself； which must be what father had meant when he talked to me about our going into hiding。 hiding。 。 。 where would we hide？ in the city？ in the country？ in a house？ in a shack？ when； where； how。 。 。 ？ these were questions i wasnt allowed to ask； but they still kept running through my mind。
margot and i started packing our most important belongings into a schoolbag。 the first thing i stuck in was this diary； and then curlers； handkerchiefs； schoolbooks； a b and some old letters。 preoccupied by the thought of going into hiding； i stuck the craziest things in the bag； but im not sorry。 memories mean more to me than dresses。
father finally came hqme around five oclock； and we called mr。 kleiman to ask if he could e by that evening。 mr。 van daan left and went to get miep。 miep arrived and promised to return later that night； taking with her a bag full of shoes； dresses； jackets； underwear and stockings。 after that it was quiet in our apartment； none of us felt like eating。 it was still hot； and everything was very strange。
we had rented our big upstairs room to a mr。 goldschmidt； a divorced man in his thirties； who apparently had nothing to do that evening； since despite all our polite hints he hung around until ten oclock。
miep and jan gies came at eleven。 miep； whos worked for fathers pany since 1933； has bee a close friend； and so has her husband jan。 once again； shoes； stockings； books and underwear disappeared into mieps bag and jans deep pockets。 at eleven…thirty they too disappeared。
i was exhausted； and even though i knew itd be my last night in my own bed； i fell asleep right away and didnt wake up until mother called me at five…thirty the next morning。 fortunately； it wasnt as hot as sunday； a warm rain fell throughout the day。
the four of us were wrapped in so many layers of clothes it looked as if we were going off to spend the night in a refrigerator； and all that just so we could take more clothes with us。 no jew in our situation would dare leave the house with a suitcase full of clothes。 i was wearing two undershirts； three pairs of underpants； a dress； and over that a skirt； a jacket； a raincoat； two pairs of stockings； heavy shoes； a cap； a scarf and lots more。 i was suffocating even before we left the house； but no one bothered to ask me how i felt。
margot stuffed her schoolbag with schoolbooks； went to get her bicycle and； with miep leading the way； rode off into the great unknown。 at any rate； thats how i thought of it； since i still didnt know where our hiding place was。
at seven…thirty we too closed the door behind us； moortje； my cat； was the only living creature i said good…bye to。 according to a note we left for mr。 goldschmidt； she was to be taken to the neighbors； who would give her a good home。
the stripped beds； the breakfast things on the table； the pound of meat for the cat in the kitchen …… all of these created the impression that wed left in a hurry。 but we werent interested in impressions。 we just wanted to get out of there； to get away and reach our destination in safety。 nothing else mattered。
more tomorrow。
yours； anne
thursday； july 9； 1942
dearest kitty；
so there we were； father； mother and i； walking in the pouring rain； each of us with a schoolbag and a shopping bag filled to the brim with the most varied assortment of items。 the people on their way to work at that early hour gave us sympathetic looks；
you could tell by their faces that they were sorry they couldnt offer us some kind of transportation； the conspicuous yellow star spoke for itself。
only when we were walking down the street did father and mother reveal； little by little； what the plan was。 for months wed been moving as much of our furniture and apparel out of the apartment as we could。 it was agreed that wed go into hiding on july 16。 because of margots call…up notice； the plan had to be moved up ten days； which meant wed have to make do with less orderly rooms。
the hiding place was located in fathers office building。 thats a little hard for outsiders to understand； so ill explain。 father didnt have a lot of people working in his office； just mr。 kugler； mr。 kleiman； miep and a twenty…three…year…old typist named bep voskuijl； all of whom were informed of our ing。 mr。 voskuijl； beps father； works in the warehouse； along with two assistants； none of whom were told anything。
heres a description of the building。 the large warehouse on the ground floor is used as a workroom and storeroom and is divided into several different sections； such as the stockroom and the milling room； where cinnamon； cloves and a pepper substitute are ground。
next to the warehouse doors is another outside door； a separate entrance to the office。 just inside the office door is a second door； and beyond that a stairway。 at the top of the stairs is another door； with a frosted window on which the word 〃office〃 is written in black letters。 this is the big front office …… very large； very light and very full。 bep； miep and mr。 kleiman work there during the day。 after passing through an alcove containing a safe； a wardrobe and a big supply cupboard； you e to the small； dark； stuffy back office。 this used to be shared by mr。 kugler and mr。 van daan； but now mr。 kugler is its only occupant。 mr。 kuglers office can also be reached from the hallway； but only through a glass door that can be opened from the inside but not easily from the outside。 if you leave mr。 kuglers office and proceed through the long； narrow hallway past the coal bin and go up four steps； you find yourself in the private office； the showpiece of the entire building。 elegant mahogany furniture； a linoleum floor covered with throw rugs； a radio； a fancy lamp； everything first class。
next door is a spacious kitchen with a hot…water heater and two gas burners； and beside that a bathroom。 thats the second floor。
a wooden staircase leads from the downstairs hallway to the third floor。 at the top of the stairs is a landing； with doors on either side。 the door o