A one-of-a-kind international traveling exhibit will be making its way to Ansley on Tuesday, December 14. Anne Frank-a history for today tells the story of Anne Frank against the background of the Holocaust and the Second World War. The exhibit aims to inform visitors about the history of the Holocaust from the perspective of Anne Frank and her family to show visitors that cultural, ethnic, religious, and political differences between people exist in every society.
Dan Helberg, Ansley High School Language Arts teacher, told KCNI/KBBN the exhibit was developed by the Anne Frank House Colombia, South Carolina. He said the exhibit was designed to increase the knowledge of the Holocaust for students and to also give them an opportunity to guide the public through the exhibit. Through his relationship with the Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) in Omaha, Dan said he was able to work with the IHE as well as other area schools to bring the exhibit to Ansley.
“Holocaust education is more impactful when we get away from the numbers and get in touch with personal stories. Anne Frank’s story is somewhat well known, but a lot of people don’t know the details behind her story,” said Dan.
Dan also remarked that the exhibit will show a larger picture of World War II, but will also show the years of the Holocaust which lasted over a decade.
The exhibit is made up of panels that cover different parts of Anne Frank’s story leading up to World War II. Student docents will act as guides during the public viewing, answering questions, and leading the public through the exhibit.
Ansley Senior Cody Nelson will be one of the docents Tuesday night and said the training given to them by the IHE allowed them to look deeper into the events leading up to World War II. Cody said one of the more interesting parts was the concentration camps were not present during the entire Holocaust, but only began to show up at the end of the Holocaust.
“The school history has prepared us pretty well in just how we can interact with people, but it is nice to go in depth into one subject where you basically feel like you’re in the persons shoes,” remarked Cody.
The exhibit will be available to the public on Tuesday, December 14 from 7-8:30 PM. There is no cost to attend. Dan said he hopes as many people as possible attend the exhibit, keep an open mind, and try and learn something new.
“As we look to continue to grow and as adults a lot of times we think we may know a story, but I think it is important to keep an open mind,” said Dan. “We hope people can find a way to relate to her in what she went through.”
