This is one of the few television interviews Anne Frank's father Otto gave (1967). While sitting in the Secret Annex, he talks about his surprise at the things Anne wrote in her diary. Although he and Anne were very close, he wasn't aware of her most inner feelings. | Anne Frank House

#OnThisDay 1929: Anne Frank was born. In 1979, her father Otto explained to Blue Peter's Lesley Judd how his daughter's famous diary survived to become a best-seller. | BBC Archive

In 1959, Otto Frank personally offered Audrey Hepburn the role of his daughter, Anne Frank, in the film adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. Hepburn, one of the most celebrated actresses of her time, seemed like a perfect choice. But she quietly refused the role. The reason was deeply personal. As a child, Audrey Hepburn had lived through the horrors of German-occupied Holland during World War II. She endured hunger, fear, and the trauma of occupation firsthand. Playing Anne Frank would have m