2019 Volume 70 Issue 10 Pages 653-671
Food among the presents given for Anne Frank's thirteenth birthday on 12 June, 1942, written in The Diary of Anne Frank –The critical edition–, was investigated. Detailed entries about gifts and gift-givers were written, comparing them with The Diary of Anne Frank –The definitive edition–, which was edited for easier reading. Anne celebrated her birthday by receiving 39 gifts from 26 gift-givers including her parents, relatives, friends and acquaintances. Twenty-seven percent of the gifts were food. Flower bouquets, books, and non-commodities such as ornaments and games were given as non-food items. The percentage of sweets among the food items was as high as 82％, and consisted of commercial products such as chocolates, candies and drops, and biscuits sold on the Dutch market. Surrogate coffee, distributed after the occupation, was also given as a gift. Most of the gift-givers were Jews, close to the Frank family, who escaped from Germany and built new lives in Amsterdam in the 1930's. The entries about Anne's 13th birthday revealed her childlike, cheerful life, even under the restrictions of the Germany occupation.
