Question

On October 1, 1956, The Diary of Anne Frank opened simultaneously in seven cities in Germany. At the end of the play, the audience sat silently without applauding. Not long after the play’s opening, Germans began openly expressing remorse for the Holocaust. This was an important change because, up until this point, Germans had not publicly spoken about the Holocaust.

Answer 1

To participate in this discussion, think about the audience’s reaction to the opening of The Diary of Anne Frank, and think about the events that followed. Why do you think audiences were silent at the end of the play? Why might Germans not have talked about the Holocaust until years after the war had ended? How do you think The Diary of Anne Frank helped people talk about the Holocaust?