The Graphic Anne: Anne Frank Comics as Transnational Lieu de Mémoire

Abstract

In this essay, I discuss the transformation of Anne Frank’s diary into various forms of media, particularly focusing on comics and graphic novels as transnational lieu de mémoire. The research is based on a private Anne Frank comic collection of more than 40 publications collected from all around the world. I describe how the adaptation of Anne Frank’s story in comics has contributed to shaping the memory culture of the Holocaust and the Second World War on a global scale. I emphasize the significance of Anne Frank as a historical figure and the widespread dissemination of her diary, which has been translated into numerous languages and recognized as a UNESCO world heritage. By following the comic productions of the diary around the world, I explore the role of popular history in gendering victimhood and sacrifice, particularly in the context of the 1950s narrative surrounding Anne Frank and the national memory of the Netherlands. Although the diary was widely present, the comic productions as exemplary access to pop culture reveal an underrepresentation of the Jewish heritage of the Franks and the persecution of Jews as a crime beyond national borders. Furthermore, the comics represent the international success of Anne Frank’s diary, portraying themes of hope, freedom, and optimism, as well as its portrayal as a coming-of-age and first-love story. The comics show how these topics, and Anne’s life and suffering, play out in different popular and memory cultures.