RIOD employees Gerrold van der Stroom, David Barnouw and director A.H. Paape looking at the original manuscript of Anne Frank's diary in 1981 - Photo: Marcel Antonisse (Anefo / National Archives)
New digitisation and research on Anne Frank’s manuscripts
In this project, in cooperation with the Anne Frank Fonds, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, the Anne Frank Foundation and the Dutch State, NIOD is coordinating the creation of new digital copies of Anne Frank’s manuscripts. The aim is to produce new, high-quality digital versions of Anne Frank’s original manuscripts.
New digital copies
The project will produce digital copies of all parts of the manuscripts: the three diaries, the book of stories, the book of beautiful sentences and the separate sheets, which formed the basis of “The Secret Annex”.
It is necessary to protect the fragile and valuable manuscripts by Anne Frank,, but at the same time they need to be made as accessible as possible for research. High-quality digital copies of the diaries will never take the place of the originals, with their historical value, but they should be of such quality that they can replace them in practice.
Research to enhance knowledge
As the original manuscripts need to be used for the digitisation, this is a good opportunity to investigate them more closely. The project will therefore involve research, with the collaboration featuring experts from various backgrounds. The aim of bringing together their expertise and knowledge in the fields of (natural) science, cultural history and restoration is to enhance knowledge about the diaries and contribute to their preservation and significance.
Joining forces for preservation and management
The parties that are responsible for managing and preserving the manuscripts are working together on the digitisation and research. The physical diaries by Anne Frank are exhibited in the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam; they are the property of the Dutch State and are managed by NIOD. The intellectual property rights are managed by the Anne Frank Fonds in Basel. The Anne Frank Fonds is the initiator of this new digitisation.
