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Jan GiesDutchman, resistance figure
Date of Birth: 18.10.1905
Country:  Netherlands |
Content:
Biography of Jan Gies
Jan Gies, a Dutch Resistance activist, is known for providing shelter to many refugees, including the legendary Anne Frank, along with his wife Miep. Born and raised as Henk van Santen in Amsterdam, Jan met his future wife in 1933, but their paths diverged until they reunited in 1936. On July 16, 1941, Miep and Jan were married, with Otto and Anne Frank, Hermann and his wife, and several colleagues in attendance.
In the same year, Jan became the official director of Otto Frank's company, as Otto was forced to step down from the board of directors due to new Nazi laws prohibiting Jews from holding leadership positions. The company then operated under the name 'Gies & Co.' As the lives of Amsterdam's Jews became increasingly difficult, Jan felt compelled to help those in need. He assisted the Jews to the best of his abilities, obtaining illegal food vouchers, finding hiding places, and sourcing British newspapers. Jan also provided aid to the Frank family, eventually securing them a hiding place within the premises of 'Gies & Co'.
Throughout the two years the Franks lived in hiding, Jan visited them several times, even staying overnight to better understand their suffering. After an unknown person betrayed their hiding place to the Nazis, Miep Gies hid Anne Frank's diary. Of all the people Jan and Miep sheltered, only Otto Frank survived. Upon returning to Amsterdam in June 1945, Otto stayed with the Gieses for seven years before moving to Switzerland to be closer to his mother.
In 1947, Anne Frank's diary was published, catapulting Jan and Miep Gies into media stardom. The translation of the diary into English, followed by its adaptation into a screenplay and stage production, further increased their popularity. Jan and Miep regularly attended various events dedicated to the memory of Nazi victims and delivered lectures on Anne Frank, the horrors of fascism, and the necessity of resisting it by any means necessary.
