As early as 1950, Anne Frank's father Otto wanted to found an educational centre in Anne's name. However, it took over 40 years for his wish to become reality. In 1994 the "Jugendbegegnungsstätte Anne Frank e.V." society was founded. On 15 June 1997 the Anne Frank Educational Centre was opened, in the former "Haus der Jugend" (Youth Club/Hostel), near to Anne's former home. In 2003 a new multimedia exhibition "Anne Frank: A Girl from Germany" was opened. The exhibition was developed and produced in cooperation with the
Anne Frank House (
Amsterdam) and the
Anne Frank Zentrum (
Berlin). Since 2003, adults and young people have had the opportunity to explore the permanent multimedia exhibition “Anne Frank: A Girl from Germany”, guided by their own interest. Visitors have the opportunity to unravel the individual stories within the broader history of Nazism. Additionally, the centre organises seminars, training courses and projects on related topics. Since 2010
Meron Mendel has been the director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre. Under his leadership, the centre expanded its activities with a multimedia learning laboratory for young people, two counselling units for victims of
right-wing violence, as well as with temporary exhibitions, for example on
The Holocaust in comics. Unlike in its early years, the centre is not only focusing on the history of Anne Frank and The Holocaust. Its new focus is
human rights education and facilitating dialogue between people from different backgrounds, social status and lifestyle. The centre offers activities for the general German society, including people with a personal history of immigration, such as
Muslims in Germany. Supporting teachers and parents, the centre has published surveys and materials for educational use, for example regarding the
Gaza war after 7 October 2023. Further, the local institution has greatly enlarged its staff and budget and become internationally known. ==See also==