Voor Miep Gies - Main contents

Miep Gies is dood. Ze werd bijna 101. Voor mij heeft zij altijd symbool gestaan voor de nuchtere Hollander, die ook in de meest verwarrende tijd van onze moderne geschiedenis geen seconde twijfelde over wat goed en fout was.

Niet iedereen bezat in die jaren deze morele helderheid. Otto Frank vroeg haar hulp bij het onderduiken van zijn gezin en Miep en haar man stonden hem terzijde. Zonder haar was Anne's dagboek verloren gegaan. Bizar dat ik net een aangrijpende documentaire op de BBC zat te kijken, toen het bericht van haar overlijden doorkwam. Een paar weken geleden opende ik een Anne Frank tentoonstelling in Tokio. Hieronder staat mijn toespraakje, dat ik nu graag wil opdragen aan Miep Gies.

Opening ‘Anne Frank - a history for today’ 15 December 2009. Sophia University, Tokio, Japan.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is such a pleasure to stand next to this wonderful picture of a young girl with a slight overbite, looking at us from the past with inquisitive eyes. I want to start my short talk with a quote, which to me is very meaningful. Anne Frank said the following when she was fourteen years old, in April 1944, just after there had been a burglary in the place where she was hiding in Amsterdam, which, of course, terrified the Jewish people hiding there. She knew by then that if they were discovered, it would certainly lead to their deaths. She wrote: ‘I know what I want, I have a goal. I have opinions, a religion and love. If only I could be myself, I will be satisfied. I know that I am a woman, a woman with inner strength and a great deal of courage. If God lets me live, I’ll achieve more than Mother ever did. I’ll make my voice heard. I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind.’

It is almost unimaginable that a fourteen-year-old girl would say or write these things. But she did, because of the awful circumstances she was in, pondering the possibility of being killed. Not because of anything she had done, but simply for who she was. That is why I think she is such a great example of human dignity. She had ambitions, regardless of the threats around her. She wanted the best for humankind, regardless of the horrors she knew were happening around her. And I believe that it is our duty to show her testimony to the next generation. This is one of the most important things I do with young children: tell them about Anne Frank, have them read her diary, go with them to the Anne Frank Museum - Anne Frankhuis - in Amsterdam.

It’s so wonderful that now, Japanese students will be in a position to read her testimony. Because it’s all very well to talk about statistics and historical dates. But seeing and reading this very personal story of a human being, with hopes and fears and ambitions, is so much more telling than statistics and things you can read in history books. I also want to pay tribute to the Anne Frank Foundation. I wish I could convey to you the important role being played by this foundation in the ongoing dialogue in the Netherlands about diversity and respect for other people’s views and identities. About the need - this fundamental need - to be able to see the world through somebody else’s eyes as a way of showing respect and fostering some of the values that you were talking about, Mr President. Values that your country and mine share. For all these reasons, I am very happy that you have agreed to stage this exhibition at your university. I really want to thank you, Mr President, for offering the Anne Frank Foundation the possibility of holding this exhibition here. Because the more people know about this remarkable young lady, the better it is for mankind.

Thank you