Anne Frank on stamps

During Postex 2012, I found an envelope at a stamp dealer bearing an impression of a stamp with a very famous image: the statue of the Dockworker in Amsterdam. Why an impression of this stamp on an envelope from the Israeli postal service? On the stamp were the 'achterhuisand three small portraits of Anne Frank depicted and on the tab, the small strip attached to the stamp, another small portrait and Anne's 'signature'.

The stamp contained text in three languages, including Dutch: 50th anniversary commemoration February Strike 1941. The combination of stamp and postage stamp was clear. The Dock worker, a sculpture made by Mari Andriessen, stands on Jonas Daniël Meijerplein in Amsterdam. The strike on February 25, 1941, was the first major protest by the Dutch population against the terror of the German occupiers. The strike was held after the first raids in Amsterdam on February 22 and 23, 1941. The statue was unveiled by Queen Juliana on December 15, 1952. Anne Frank, born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt am Main, moved with her family to Amsterdam in 1933. On August 4, 1944, the Frank family, who were in hiding in the Secret Annex, were arrested by the German Karl Jozef Silberbauer, assisted by three Dutch police officers. They had been betrayed by unknown persons. The story has become world-famous due to the publication of the Diary that Anne kept. The book, published in 1947, was translated into nearly 70 different languages. But only three countries issued a stamp featuring a small portrait of Anne.

First Anne Frank stamp

The Federal Republic of Germany was the first country to pay tribute to Anne Frank. The stamp was issued on May 17, 1979, on the occasion of Anne's 50th birthday. The design was created by Elisabeth von Janota-Bzowski , born in Prague in 1912. The print run amounted to more than 31 million stamps. On December 18, 1978, questions were put to State Secretary Smit-Kroes of Transport and Public Works in the House of Representatives regarding the proposed issuance of the German stamp. The questioners were members Voogd (PvdA), De Beer (VVD), Van Zeil (CDA), and Hartmeijer (PvdA). They requested the issuance of a stamp on the occasion of Anne Frank's 50th birthday, as had also been announced in Germany. The State Secretary replied on January 8, 1979, that a proposal had been made by the National Institute for War Documentation to dedicate one or more stamps in 1980 to commemorate the occupation and the liberation. In that case, the significance of Anne Frank could play an important role in determining the stamp issuance program for 1980. So not in 1979, because, according to the State Secretary, it is not customary to dedicate a special stamp issue to one and the same subject in two consecutive years.

Dutch Anne Frank stamp

The Dutch Post was the second country to issue a stamp featuring a portrait of Anne on April 25, 1980. The stamp was designed by Walter Nikkels . Nearly 14 million stamps were sold. Anne died on March 31, 1945, in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp . A statue of Anne Frank stands at Janskerkhof in Utrecht.

Israel: Anne Frank and the Secret Annex

Israel was the third country to issue a stamp featuring portraits of Anne Frank. The background depicts the Secret Annex at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. The stamp was issued on April 19, 1988.