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January 13, 2010

Miep Gies, Helped To Hide Anne Frank, Dies At Age 100
— DrewM

She said she didn't consider herself a hero, but I (and I suspect most of you) respectfully disagree.

Gies was among a team of Dutch citizens who hid the Frank family of four and four others in a secret annex in Amsterdam, Netherlands, during World War II, according to her official Web site, which announced her death Monday. She worked as a secretary for Anne Frank's father, Otto, in the front side of the same Prinsengracht building.
...Despite the legendary hardship she endured during the German occupation, Gies never embraced the label of a hero.
"More than 20,000 Dutch people helped to hide Jews and others in need of hiding during those years. I willingly did what I could to help. My husband did as well. It was not enough," she says in the prologue of her memoirs, "Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family."
"There is nothing special about me. I have never wanted special attention. I was only willing to do what was asked of me and what seemed necessary at the time

May she rest in her well earned peace.

Posted by: DrewM at 05:46 AM | Comments (36)
Post contains 213 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Doing what is necessary despite danger to oneself is the very definition of a hero.

Posted by: Lee at January 13, 2010 05:50 AM (8cnnJ)

2 She did "what seemed necessary at the time." If only more people did only what was necessary!

What a wonderful woman.

Posted by: NJConservative at January 13, 2010 05:50 AM (/Ywwg)

3 And somewhere Cedardouche celebrates.

Posted by: hhuummbbeerrtt at January 13, 2010 05:52 AM (VDgKF)

4 There is nothing special about me. I have never wanted special attention. I was only willing to do what was asked of me and what seemed necessary at the time

I have met two Medal of Honor winners. This is the attitude that they seemed to have also.

Posted by: chad at January 13, 2010 05:53 AM (WNcvq)

My definition of an actual hero: They do something incredibly brave at great personal risk, then deny that they did anything special.

Posted by: maddogg at January 13, 2010 05:55 AM (OlN4e)

6 Heroes generally don't self-identify. Which is a shame in that I hate missing the opportunity to be thankful, as well as inspired, by their actions.

Posted by: Cautiously Pessimistic at January 13, 2010 05:56 AM (pZEar)

7 Present.

Posted by: President Barack at January 13, 2010 05:56 AM (MMC8r)

8 Too bad they never were able to figure out who ratted them out and string them up.

Posted by: Ryan Frank at January 13, 2010 05:57 AM (7YCr2)

9 RIP

Posted by: lace whig at January 13, 2010 05:58 AM (+OP3J)

Yes, she was a true hero. That is a term that has been diluted to the point of zero return. The media calls "sports figures" heroes. It makes me want to puke when they elevate some worthless athlete to the status of hero nad compare them to people like this woman.

I am sure she now rests with the angels.

Posted by: Vic at January 13, 2010 05:59 AM (QrA9E)

Thank you Mrs. Geis,

I hope if any of us ever face a similar situation we have the courage to do similar acts of bravery.

Posted by: willow at January 13, 2010 06:01 AM (7FgWm)

12 Yes, may she rest in piece.... And for the POS that betrayed the Frank family and others, I sincerely hope that he or she has been roasting merrily in Hell all these years...

Posted by: GuyfromNH at January 13, 2010 06:01 AM (GWXuo)

13 What a great woman. Apart from the physical danger she faced, I'd say that her simply saving that diary had an indelible effect on the world. Not bad for a clerk in an occupied country.

Posted by: lincolntf at January 13, 2010 06:01 AM (rwlcW)

If you ever go to Amsterdam, the seedy underbelly of the town is well overrated. Go see the Anne Frank House and Rijksgallery while you still can. Then off to the mosque for evening prayers, followed by a trip to one of the fine Argentinian steak houses.

RIP Miep Gies

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at January 13, 2010 06:01 AM (DPM1U)

15 Too bad they never were able to figure out who ratted them out and string them up.
Posted by: Ryan Frank at January 13, 2010 09:57 AM (7YCr2)

According to another story I read (don't remember where) Anne's father, Otto, told Gies he did know who did it but never told anyone. He said the person had children and they shouldn't have to live with that knowledge.

I'm not sure I'd have been so considerate of a person who killed my family but maybe I'm not that good of a person (something I can live with).

Posted by: DrewM. at January 13, 2010 06:04 AM (UAnTc)

16 RIP Miep Giles - an ordinary person who did an extraordinary thing.

Posted by: RightwingProf at January 13, 2010 06:05 AM (yE4WS)

@5 Posted by: maddogg at January 13, 2010 09:55 AM (OlN4e)

Yeah, what he said!!

Posted by: teej at January 13, 2010 06:06 AM (c459z)

18 As I assume most do when they build their own houses, I designed a secret room into mine just in case I had to hide Jews someday. This has been Miep Gies's influence on architecture. Kind of puts Frank Wright and Frank Gehry into perspective, doesn't she?

Posted by: comatus at January 13, 2010 06:07 AM (/VEEI)

19 "There is nothing special about me. I have never wanted special attention. I was only willing to do what was asked of me and what seemed necessary at the time"

;">Isn't this what all heroes say?

Posted by: curious at January 13, 2010 06:07 AM (p302b)

20 Exceptional people are almost always very modest; they don't think it's anything special to do the right thing.

Posted by: Captain Hate at January 13, 2010 06:10 AM (VGeGl)

21 O/T: A guest on Mika and Joe are saying that the pres has to go to MA to campaign for Coakley. Guess this is what his base is calling for.

Posted by: curious at January 13, 2010 06:15 AM (p302b)

God bless and keep you, Miep Gies.

Such courage.

Such selflessness.

Such unwavering moral clarity.

Such genuine humility.

All defining characteristics of the "Greatest Generation."

Posted by: Sam Adams at January 13, 2010 06:16 AM (1kwr2)

23 You know that this woman could have been given a Nobel Peace Prize but those socialist bastards gave it to you know who for being an empty suit.

Posted by: torabora at January 13, 2010 06:18 AM (EvboQ)

24
When Miep heard that the Frank family had been arrested, she walked into Gestapo headquarters and tried to get them freed. I once walked past KGB HQ in Moscow, off Dzerzhinski Square, and I swear, the building radiated evil; for her to choose to walk into such a place, to try, against all reason and at the risk of her own life, to save her friends: that is courage that is damn near superhuman. I am awestruck by her.

Posted by: Brown Line at January 13, 2010 06:18 AM (VrNoa)

25 God rest her soul. May we all have the courage she displayed if needed.

Posted by: JEA at January 13, 2010 06:20 AM (bWB5j)

26 "23 You know that this woman could have been given a Nobel Peace Prize but those socialist bastards gave it to you know who for being an empty suit.

Posted by: torabora at January 13, 2010 10:18 AM (EvboQ)"

Didn't they also give Krugman a nobel prize in economics which truly shocked his peers who are still whispering about it?

Posted by: curious at January 13, 2010 06:23 AM (p302b)

27 Who knows why people do what they do. The most extraordinary feats of courage and kindness come from the most (seemingly) ordinary people. We live our lives day to day, not necessarily in quiet desperation, but just going about our business when out of the blue, circumstances beyond our comprehension place us in a situation that allows us the opportunity to be heroes. We may not recognize ourselves as such - certainly Miep Gies and those like her (the guys who survived the first wave on Omaha Beach come to mind) surely don't - but they are. Their being there saved lives and prevented the tiny flame of humanity from being extinguished. We are all better for it. We are all better for Miep Gies. May G-d grant her a place in heaven among the righteous and may she rest in peace.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at January 13, 2010 06:31 AM (9Cooa)

28 Wonder how many stories of heroism will come out of Haiti?

Posted by: curious at January 13, 2010 06:33 AM (p302b)

29 Didn't they also give Krugman a nobel prize in economics which truly shocked his peers who are still whispering about it?

I hadn't heard this, but it wouldn't surprise me. The Nobel prizes, especially the "peace" prize, have become thoroughly corrupted, and are now just a method for leftists to congratulate other leftists for promoting some aspect of the leftist agenda.

Posted by: OregonMuse at January 13, 2010 06:35 AM (I3PoI)

RIP Mrs. Gies. If only more people in our Government shared her view instead of trying so hard to be on camera as a 'champion for the people.'

What #5 said.

Posted by: Schwalbe at January 13, 2010 06:53 AM (UU0OF)

31 A big hat tip and thank you. People like her make the world tolerable.

Posted by: dfbaskwill at January 13, 2010 07:01 AM (usjNq)

Posted by: andycanuck at January 13, 2010 07:04 AM (2qU2d)

33 I thought we weren't supposed to say "miep".

Posted by: Danvers High School kid at January 13, 2010 07:24 AM (lQRmV)

34 When I was a middle school reading teacher, my students always read and studied the play about the occupants of the secret annex. I read and studied quite a bit about rescuers and found that both Miep and her husband were protecting others, too. They kept their activities so secret that neither knew that the other was aiding more people than the Franks and the others with them. On the weekends, Miep would ride her bicycle out into the countryside in order to locate vegetables, and she apparently had a secret agreement with a local butcher to sell her meat without required coupons. She and others who protected Jews were in incredible danger at all times, but they saved many lives.

Posted by: Warm Mountain at January 13, 2010 07:49 AM (HLaNR)

R.I.P. Miep Gies. Yes, in spite of her disclaimers, she defines heroism and sets an incredible example and bar for everyone to aspire to.

And thanks also to the AoSHQ commenters on this thread, you make me proud to be a moron.

Posted by: RM at January 13, 2010 10:39 AM (GkYyh)

Rest in a well-earned peace, lady.

Your actions were noble, and shame the rest of us. In your place, What Would I Do?

Posted by: Mikey NTH at January 13, 2010 01:20 PM (TUWci)

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