The world lost a wonderful woman recently.

Do you know the story of Miep Gies? It’s because of Miep's courage and kindness that we've come to know the story of Anne Frank. Let’s take a moment to remember her - she was a real Hero of Character!

Otto Frank needed help. He was from Germany, but was beginning a new life for his family in a country called the Netherlands. You see, a new leader had taken over Germany. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party were some of the worst bullies the world has ever seen. The Nazis preached hatred of Jewish people.  They began to imprison them in ghettos and concentration camps, and later killed millions of Jews from across Europe.  The Franks were Jewish – they had to get away!

Miep got a job with Mr. Frank in 1933. He was a good boss and a very nice man. A few years later, though, the Nazis took over the Netherlands, too, and began to capture Jews there. They made it a crime, punishable by death, to help anyone who was Jewish. Like all bullies, the Nazis wanted people to be too scared to do the right thing.  But Miep wouldn't be bullied.

By 1942, things were very bad for the Franks.  Otto had tried to escape to the U.S. with his family, but the U.S. Government didn't start rescuing Jews until 1944. So Miep formed a team with her husband Jan, and her coworkers Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, and Bep Voskuijl. They worked together and helped the Franks hide in a secret attic, with another family named the van Pels and a man named Fritz Pfeffer.

For two years, the Franks, van Pels and Mr. Pfeffer remained safe in their attic hideout. Anne had been keeping diaries, and she wrote about what it was like to hide. Living like this wasn’t easy, because everyone was under a lot of stress. If they were caught, the Nazis would try to kill them. Anne knew this, but she believed that everybody, even people who do evil things, have goodness inside of them. If only they would let that good come out!

In 1944, the Nazis found the secret hiding place. Johannes and Victor and all the people hiding were arrested.  Miep wasn’t, though, and she found Anne’s diaries and hid them. This was very brave - later, she said she should have burned them, because the diaries were proof that she had disobeyed the Nazis.

Miep never saw Anne again. After the Nazis were defeated, Miep gave the diaries to Mr. Frank. Of the eight people who hid in that attic, he was the only one still alive. Reading the diaries made him sad, but they also made him happy as he realized the importance of Anne's words. He published Anne’s writings as “The Diary of a Young Girl” to share her thoughts with the whole world.

Because of Miep’s generosity, compassion, and courage, a little piece of Anne is still alive with us today. One of my favorite quotes tells you a lot about Anne, but it also describes Miep. In fact, it describes every Hero of Character:

“People will always follow a good example. Be the one to set a good example, then it won't be long before the others follow... We can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straightaway... And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!”

Miep Gies didn’t want to be considered a hero, but what else to call her? She made the world a better place, and helped keep Anne Frank alive, in body and in spirit. Thank you, Miep, for being so brave and so kind. We miss you!