Page 247 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

A MSTERD A M  245

Dominating the gallery is one for lodgings within the 0 Anne Frank House
of the museum’s most extra- complex, these worthy women Prinsengracht 267. Tel 020-556 7105.
ordinary exhibits: a 17th- undertook to educate the poor v 13, 14, 17. 4 Prinsengracht.
century 5.30-m (17-ft) statue and look after the sick. Open daily (Jan 1 & Dec 25: pm only).
of Goliath (c.1650). Children Although none of the earliest Closed Yom Kippur. &
can experience life in a 17th- dwellings survives, the rows of ∑ annefrank.org
century orphanage in the beautiful houses that overlook
“Little Orphanage” the Begijnhof’s well-kept green For two years during World
exhibition. include Amsterdam’s oldest War II, the Frank and Van Pels
surviving house, Het Houten families, both Jewish, hid here
Huis, at No. 34. Dating from the until their betrayal to the Nazis.
second half of the 15th century, The 13-year-old Anne began
it is one of only two wooden- her famous diary in July 1942.
fronted houses in the city, since First published in 1947 as Het
timber buildings were banned Achterhuis (The Annex), and
in 1521 after a series of catastro- since translated into dozens
phic fires. On a wall directly of languages, the journal gives
behind No. 34 is a collection of a moving account of growing
fascinating stone plaques, up under persecution, and of
illustrating biblical themes. life in confinement. Anne
The southern side of the made her last entry in August
square is dominated by the 1944, three days before her
Engelse Kerk (English family was arrested.
Church), which dates Visitors climb to the
from the 15th second floor where
century and retains an introductory
its original video is shown. You
medieval tower. then enter the
The church was annex where the
confiscated after families hid via the
the Alteration and revolving bookcase
rented to a group of that concealed its
Statue of Goliath (c.1650) in the English and Scottish entrance. The rooms
Amsterdam Museum Presbyterians in are now empty,
Family photograph of
9 Begijnhof 1607. Directly Anne Frank (1929–45) except for the
posters in Anne’s
opposite is the
Spui (entrance at Gedempte Begijnhof Chapel room and Otto
Begijnensloot). v 1, 2, 5, 9, (Nos. 29–30), a well-preserved Frank’s model of the annex as
14, 16, 24. Open daily. hidden church, where the it was during the occupation.
∑ begijnhofamsterdam.nl Begijntjes worshipped in secret The house also has exhibitions
until religious tolerance was on World War II and anti-
The Begijnhof was built in 1346 restored in 1795. Tour groups Semitism. Try to arrive early
as a sanctuary for the Begijntjes, are not permitted in the or late in the day as the
a lay Catholic sisterhood who Begijnhof and the occupants museum gets very crowded.
lived like nuns, although they request that noise should be Buy tickets via the Internet
took no monastic vows. In return kept to a minimum. to avoid the queues.

Attractive gabled houses and central green of Amsterdam’s Begijnhof, which is still occupied by single women

244-245_EW_Europe.indd 245 14/07/16 10:14 am