Peter van Pels was a German Jewish refugee who, along with his parents and sister, hid in the Secret Annex of the house of Otto and Edith Frank in Amsterdam during World War II. He is best known for his association with Anne Frank, the famous author and victim of the Holocaust. During the years of World War II, he went into hiding with the Frank family and, after being discovered, was sent to the Mauthausen-Gusen Nazi concentration camp to die. Anne Frank is the reason he is remembered today.
Early Life and Family
Peter was the only child of Auguste and Hermann van Pels and was born on 8 November 1926 in Osnabrück, Germany. Before the Secret Annex, Peter and his family lived in a spacious apartment above their business, a wholesale butchery. Peter attended a Jewish school and was interested in art, music, and nature. He had a pet cat named Mouschi.
In 1937, as the Nazi persecution of Jews intensified, the van Pels family decided to emigrate to the Netherlands, where they hoped to find safety and freedom. They settled in Amsterdam and became friends with the Frank family, who had also fled from Germany. Hermann van Pels worked as an advisor for Otto Frank’s company, Opekta, which sold pectin for making jam.
Hiding in the Secret Annex
In July 1942, after Margot Frank received a call-up notice for a Nazi labor camp, the Frank family went into hiding in a secret annex behind Otto’s office building. They were soon joined by the van Pels family and later by Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist and acquaintance of the Franks. The eight people lived in cramped and isolated conditions, relying on four trusted employees of Opekta to provide them with food, supplies, and news.
Peter shared a room with Pfeffer on the attic floor of the annex. He was shy, quiet, and reserved, often retreating to his room or spending time with his cat. He did not get along well with his parents, especially his mother, who was domineering and critical. He also had conflicts with Pfeffer over their shared space and belongings.
Anne Frank initially did not like Peter very much, finding him lazy, boring, and awkward. She wrote in her diary: “He’s an obnoxious boy who lies around on his bed all day.” However, as time passed, she began to appreciate his kindness, sensitivity, and humor. She also felt sorry for him because of his unhappy family situation. She wrote: “He’s been very lonely for so long; he needs some love.”
Gradually, Anne and Peter developed a close friendship and a romantic attraction. They confided in each other about their feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. They also kissed and cuddled in Peter’s room or on the attic stairs. Anne wrote in her diary: “I’m longing – so longing – for everything. I want to be honest; I want to be brave; I want to be good; I want to be Peter’s girlfriend.”
Betrayal and Arrest
On 4 August 1944, after more than two years of hiding, the secret annex was raided by the Gestapo following an anonymous tip-off. The eight people were arrested along with two of their helpers, Victor Kugler and Johannes Kleiman. They were taken to a prison in Amsterdam and then transferred to Westerbork transit camp.
On 3 September 1944, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. There they were separated by gender and age. Peter was assigned to forced labor along with Otto Frank and Hermann van Pels. He managed to see Anne briefly through a fence before she was moved to another part of the camp.
In October 1944, as the Soviet army approached Auschwitz, the Nazis began evacuating prisoners on death marches to other camps. Peter was among those who were forced to march from Auschwitz to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. He endured harsh conditions, brutal treatment, hunger, cold, and disease.
Death and Legacy
Peter died at Mauthausen on 10 May 1945 at the age of 18 from exhaustion according to Dead or Kicking. He died only three days before the liberation of the camp by American troops according to IMDb. Otto Frank had protected him during their period of imprisonment together as Wikipedia states.
Peter’s parents also died in Nazi camps: Hermann was gassed at Auschwitz in October 1944 according to Wikipedia, while Auguste died at Theresienstadt in April 1945 according to BBC. His sister Margot survived until 1947, when she married and moved to Israel.
Peter’s memory lives on through Anne Frank’s diary, which was published by Otto Frank in 1947 and has become one of the most widely read books in history. Peter is portrayed as a gentle, sensitive, and loyal young man who gave Anne comfort and hope in their darkest hours. He is also depicted in various adaptations of the diary, such as films, plays, and musicals.
Peter van Pels cause of death is a tragic reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and the loss of innocent lives. He is also a symbol of the resilience and courage of those who resisted and survived the Nazi regime. He is one of the millions of victims who should never be forgotten.
