Hanneli was a Jewish girl, a friend and classmate of Anne Frank. Hanneli and Sanne used to be Anne’s best friends. Hanneli Goslar or Lies (as she was called at school) was usually a shy girl. She was outspoken at home but reserved with other people. During the Holocaust, Anne’s resourceful father took shelter with his family in a secret annexe in Amesterdam. Even in the Annexe, Anne used to think and dream of Hanneli and her grandma. She wondered if Hanneli was still alive. What was she doing? She prayed to God to watch over her and bring her back to them. Hanneli’s fate filled her with dismay and fear.
No doubt, Anne and her family were fortunate to find a safe hiding in the annexe. But Anne never felt contented as she always thought of Hanneli and thousands of others, who were suffering with her. When she thought of Hanneli and the other Jews, she felt “selfish and cowardly”. She used to dream of the most awful things and wanted to scream in terror. Thinking about Hanneli and about the sufferings of others, she felt like “spending the whole day crying”. She prayed God to perform a miracle and save Hanneli and others. Hanneli produced vivid images in Anne Frank’s dreams. Her Grandma appeared to her as a guardian angel. Hanneli symbolised to her the sufferings of her friends as well as that of the Jews in general. So when Anne Frank was praying for Hanneli, she was also praying for “all the Jews and all those in need”.
