Following the arrest of eight Jewish fugitives in 1944, Miep Gies retrieved the personal papers of Anne Frank from the office annex on Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht. Her decision to preserve these documents ensured the eventual publication of a diary that would document the experiences of those hidden from Nazi persecution for twenty-five months.
Early Life and Migration
Born in Vienna in 1909, she arrived in the Netherlands in 1920 to escape post-war food shortages. Taken in by the Nieuwenburg family in Leiden, she eventually relocated to Amsterdam. She began employment as a secretary with Opekta Nederland in 1933, where she worked under the direction of Otto Frank. Her refusal to join a Nazi-affiliated organization prompted an order for her deportation, which she circumvented by marrying Jan Gies in 1941 to obtain Dutch citizenship.
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From 6 July 1942 until 4 August 1944, Gies assisted in sustaining eight people residing in a hidden space above the Opekta offices. Alongside her husband and colleagues, including Bep Voskuijl, Victor Kugler, and Johannes Kleiman, she managed the acquisition of food and ration cards. She carefully navigated supply shortages by visiting multiple vendors, ensuring that her activities did not arouse suspicion among other employees or local authorities.
Post-War Recognition
After the arrest of the hidden families, Gies attempted to negotiate their release with German authorities but failed. Her survival was secured after an encounter with a police officer from Vienna who opted not to pursue her. In the decades following the war, she was recognized for her resistance efforts. She received the Righteous Among the Nations award in 1972 and later authored the 1987 book, Anne Frank Remembered. She died in Abbekerk in 2010.
Fast facts
- Born: 15 February 1909, Vienna
- Died: 11 January 2010, Abbekerk
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Primary Employers: Opekta Nederland
- Resistance Activity: Amsterdam, 1942-1944
- Major Recognition: Righteous Among the Nations (1972)
- Book Publication: Anne Frank Remembered (1987)
Questions readers ask
How did Gies assist the hidden families?
She provided food and supplies obtained from multiple sources and helped manage the logistics of their daily needs while ensuring their presence remained concealed.
Why was she not arrested during the 1944 raid?
She encountered a police officer from her hometown of Vienna who chose not to detain her after she spoke with him.
Achievements
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 1994
- Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1972
- Worked as writer, resistance fighter and secretary
