ANNE FRANK: A Montessori Child
by Punum Bhatia, Ph.D.
I love the Netherlands. I who, having no
and everything interested her… It was
“I hope I will be able to confide everything
native country had hoped that it might
good that Anne went to a Montessori
to you, as I have never been able to confide
become my fatherland, and I still hope
School, where each pupil gets a lot of
in anyone, and I hope you will be a great
it will. Yours, Anne M. Frank says the
individual attention.” Anne’s mother,
source of comfort and support.” Anne
writing on the wall above the entrance
Edith Frank, said of her daughter, “God
Frank begins her diary with the hope that
of the Montessori school, where Anne
know everything, but Anne always
she will be able to reveal everything in it.
Frank used to be a student. Sadly, we
know it better!” She had really wanted one and received
know that her hope was not fulfilled.
it as a birthday present on her thirteenth
The Montessori school that Anne
birthday. In her years in hiding, it became
Perhaps the most famous personal ac-
Frank went to from 1934 - 1941 is in
her friend and confidante, Kitty. One
count of the Holocaust, The Diary of a
Niersstraat, a few minutes walk from
just has to stop and wonder how much
Young Girl was written in Amsterdam,
of an influence her Montessori schooling
the Netherlands, between 1942 and
was on all of this. She was drawn to writ-
1944. The author, Anne Frank—born
ing and had a beautiful cursive hand that
in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on the
as Montessorians we know is developed
12th of June 1929—is one of the mil-
through the metal insets sandpaper letters
lions of victims of the Nazi persecution
and the rest of the language curriculum.
of the Jews during the Second World
The language materials must also have
War. In 1933, when Hitler came to
contributed to her good understanding of
power and established an anti-Jewish
the function of words.
regime, the Jewish Frank family moved
to the Netherlands. They settled in Amsterdam where they started a business
6
Photo courtesy of the Collection of the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam.
This is a copy of one of Anne Frank’s Montessori metal inset designs, similar to what older Montessori children design to this day. It survived the war.
According to Anne Frank’s friend,
Hanneli Goslar, Anne showed aptitude
dealing with pectin, which is a gel used
her house in Merwedeplein. The school
for reading and writing at an early age.
in the preparation of jam. Both the chil-
still exists as a Montessori school where
This was a talent that was nurtured in
dren started school and the family began
one classroom is kept in its original state.
her Montessori school. She frequently
to feel safe and free again.
The staff of the school calls it a “monu-
wrote at school, and was outspoken,
ment” to Anne Frank. I traced her steps
energetic and extroverted, telling ev-
Anne Frank writes in her famous diary:
from her home in Merwedeplein to the
eryone that one-day she wanted to be
“In 1934 I went to school at the Montes-
Anne Frank Montessori School, stopping
a published author. She writes in her
sori Kindergarten and continued there.
to look at the bookshop where the diary
diary: “Now, about something else:
It was at the end of the school year, I was
was bought for her as a birthday pres-
you’ve known for a long time that
in form 6B, when I had to say good-
ent. My heart stopped as I saw the little
my greatest wish is to become a jour-
by to Mrs. K. We both wept, it was
statue of Anne Frank made by Jet Schepp
nalist someday and later on a famous
very sad.” (Frank, 1993, p.4)
in the garden just outside her home. It
writer.” (1993, p. 233) Not in the way
shows Anne at the moment that she has to
she could have ever imagined but her
Her father explained his choice of school
leave her home in order to go into hiding
wish did come true. The artist, Harry
for Anne: “Anne was a demanding char-
elsewhere in the city. She carries her be-
Visser, who was born in the same
acter. She continually asked questions…
longings with her and her head is slightly
year as Anne Frank and also had to go
When we had visitors, it was difficult to
turned back as she looks at the home that
into hiding but fortunately survived,
free yourself from her, because everyone
she is leaving behind.
projected a background of bright
© MONT E SSO R I L E ADE RSH I P | W W W. M O NTESSO RI.O RG/IMC | VOLU ME 19 I SSU E 1 w 2017
colored texts from her diary on the wall
with her despite the circumstances. In
Punum Bhatia, Ph.D. has dedicated her life
of her old Montessori school. Inside
so many ways, Maria Montessori and
to Montessori education as a parent, teacher,
the school, her classroom has been
Anne Frank had similar spirits and
and teacher educator for nearly thirty years.
preserved and as the current teacher
were saying the same things at the
She completed her Bachelor’s degree in English
informed me, “We are not allowed to
same time.
Literature; earned Masters’ degrees in English
move anything in this classroom. Even
Literature and Education from the Univer-
the furniture is the same.” That is so
“I see the world gradually being
sity of Calcutta; and completed a certificate
true—I took one of the original pho-
turned into a wilderness, I hear
diploma in Montessori Pedagogy. She earned
tographs from Anne’s time and could
the
thunder,
her Doctor of Philosophy from the University
see the tables, cabinets, bead cabinet
which will destroy us too, I can
of Colorado Denver in 2012 for her work on
was very much the same. Even the
feel the suffering of millions and
the Self-Efficacy of Montessori teachers. In
corner of the room with the water
yet, if I look up into the heavens,
her efforts to understand children and the
heater that has the most well known
I think that it will come right,
environments necessary for them to grow and
photograph of Anne Frank still exists
that this cruelty too will end
flourish, Punum focuses on Maria Montes-
untouched from the early forties.
and that peace and tranquility will
sori’s original philosophy and techniques. After
return again.” (Frank, 1993,p. 263) 
teaching the Montessori method to cohorts all
ever
approaching
Without a doubt, this school laid the
around the world, she is now the proud owner
groundwork for her later writing.
References
of her very own bilingual preschool. (www.
What captures my attention though
Frank, A. (1993). The diary of a young girl.
mcidenver.edu/ www.punumbhatia.com)
are the insights of this young girl and
New York: Bantam
the optimism and resilience she carried
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