Statue of Anne Frank, Bronze statue on Janskerkhof square in Utrecht, Netherlands
The Statue of Anne Frank stands on Janskerkhof square in Utrecht and shows a life-sized bronze figure holding her diary. The sculpture was created by Dutch artist Pieter d'Hont and has occupied this central location in the city for many decades.
The original bronze statue was erected in 1959 by Utrecht youth who collected scrap metal and paper to fund the project. After vandalism damaged it beyond repair in the 1980s, a replacement version was installed in 1986.
The statue creates a space where visitors come to remember Anne Frank's story and what it represents for the world. People pause to look at the bronze figure and think about its meaning for how we remember history today.
The square is easy to reach on foot and the statue sits in an open public space that can be visited at any time. The location is flat and accessible without special requirements to view it.
The world's first Anne Frank statue was funded by local youth who collected scrap materials instead of asking the city for money. This unusual way of financing shows how Utrecht residents themselves became part of creating this memorial.
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