Anne Frank - should people have heard about her?

[MilkTrayLimeBarrel]

Chatting with DH about where to go for a city break this spring. I suggested Amsterdam - lots to see, including tulips, canals, bikes and Anne Frank's house. He asked who she was? AIBU to think that everybody should have heard of her and what she stood for/did? I couldn't believe that he honestly had no idea who she was!

He sounds ignorant tbh. How the fck could he get 50 and never hear of her? Kinda shocking

I am just wondering what makes Anne Frank the person people should know about?

There are so many stories from WW2 that don't get heard. So many stories of bravery, resistance, courage etc.

I was listening to an Auschwitz survivor this morning on the radio who was one of the first women to arrive in Auschwitz. Those are such important stories which need to be told - as does the stories of those who lived under occupation, how a country can feel safe and then change.

We need to hear, to understand and to be aware.

Sorry i pressed yabu in error

I think it's because via the existence of her writing she became the face/voice/symbol of all the children who were killed simply for being Jewish

A list of the 100 most significant figures in history. Theres a few names on there I dont know. Is it just me or does everyone else know all 100

Most of them - it's a very American centric view though...

as to why anne- and not the millions of others who were killed, well, i guess the fact they managed to save her story- and its written in her own words, and she comes across as a typical teen and so likeable and with so much potential and innocence- and then was murdered - resonates with a lot of people.

I think.it was because of her diary choma and because she was just an ordinary young teenager ,she was,nt perfect people could relate to her ,it's been a long time since I read the book I must read it again

Anne frank is not that well known tbh these days either and NO 99.9% of people would not of heard her name.

But her name was VERY well-known when DH was growing up, which is why PPs are interested in how old he is. It's unusual for 50-ish year old people not to have heard of her.
I won't quote any percentages though, because that would be ridiculous.

Didn't everyone read her diary when they were growing up?!

A list of the 100 most significant figures in history. Theres a few names on there I dont know. Is it just me or does everyone else know all 100

Almost all, but after position 45ish, what I can say about them dwindles to "US President at some point" and so on. I couldn't exactly write even an essay on their achievements. Even a paragraph would be too much.

Most of them - it's a very American centric view though...
Given that it's a data-driven analysis, I think it's more English-language centric than American centric. Obviously it depends precisely how they selected their sources for analysis though.

The names I didn't recognize (I didn't tally up but around 5) weren't English/American sounding though.

It's unusual for 50-ish year old people not to have heard of her.

Why? I'm 56 and hadn't heard of her. But as I posted above, we weren;t even taught anything about WW2 at my crap comp in the early 80s, let alone the holocaust etc. It was as if it was being airbrushed from history. But we spent a whole year on the French Revolution.

WW2 was part of the Primary National Curriculum throughout the 90s and 00s and is still covered in many primary schools now, and Anne Frank’s diary has been a set book or recommended text for years so I’m surprised that anyone in their 20s - 40s hasn’t learnt about it at either primary or secondary school. I’m also amazed someone in their 50s doesn’t know who AF is!

I would expect someone to have heard of her.

When we went to Amsterdam a few years ago my 15 year old (who isn't really into history or reading) wanted to go to her house - I don't think the 7 year old had prior to us going but the teenagers (and DH and I did)

I knew someone who had never heard of Ghandi 😆 I think that’s much worse than not knowing about Anne Frank...

JingsMah
We very politely explained but never saw her in the same light again!

She was on the curriculum in the 80s as we did it at high school, I remember reading it and it was televised too.

She - I meant Anne Frank of course

These are the names I blanked on:
James Madison
Ali, founder of Sufism
Grover Cleveland
John Calvin (bizarrely, I do know what Calvinism is, and yet didn't recognise who John Calvin was)
Joseph Smith, Jr.

My dad has just turned 10 and knows about her. I don't really remember learning about her in school but it's one of those you come across as you move through life though surely. Even if you don't know about her you would think most people would know of her.

It's unusual for 50-ish year old people not to have heard of her.

Why? I'm 56 and hadn't heard of her.

I didn't say it was impossible. I said it was unusual. One person saying that this is not her experience does not make it any less unusual.

I went to high school.in the 80,s and it was,nt on our curriculam Idblow ,but there was,nt a national curriculum in the 80,s so I guess schools could choose which periods of history they wanted to teach?