Early 1942 was fine. Miep and I were now a married couple, so we were now happy in marital bliss. Work increased, Miep’s work increased. I was now the director of Mr Frank’s spice company, since Jews could not own businesses. It was renamed Gies & Co after me. In July 1942, Mr Frank informed both me & Miep at different times that they would be going into hiding and would we help them? We both agreed to help them. On Monday, 6 July 1942, Miep left early for work and picked up Margot. They cycled to 263 Prinsengracht, where the Franks & the Van Pels family would be hiding. Her bicycle went to a bicycle shop afterwards. They were all transported into the building before the workers arrived – I arrived at the building to ensure they settled in.
In the rest of 1942, I had helped to provide my wife with extra ration coupons to help feed them all in the attic above her workplace. It was hard, so sometimes I had to do the shopping since I was high authority in Amsterdam. I would been a priority to serve, so it was a bonus. I loved my job, it really was good. But, my job with the Jews was VERY risky. My job in underground service was to help Jews hide from the Nazis.
1943 came and went very quickly. Work increased with shortages increasing; the Nazis published what could be bought with how many coupons in the newspapers, in magazines, even on the TV and on the radio. The Nazis were an absolute nightmare to us all, they really were. On 3 December 1943, I was instructed to evict the lodger that still remained in the Franks’ apartment at Merwedeplein 37. Miep typed up a letter of eviction, and I gave it to him. I showed him my Staff ID badge from Social Services – we were rent bailiffs as well. He had 15 days to leave the apartment with his belongings, and we gave this apartment temporarily to Miep’s adoptive sister Catherina’s new extended family.
1944 was a horrible year. The Franks and the Van Pels family were betrayed by an unknown traitor, apart from that the rest of the year went smoothly. Catherina, Miep’s adoptive sister, moved to Leiden so we re-rented out Merwedeplein 37 to a Christian couple on a 12-month lease. We were only doing short tenancies to ensure the Franks had somewhere to return to. Mr & Mrs Van Pels had no secure house, they had terminated their tenancy on arriving in The Attic. So, we still had to sort them out.
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My Story: Jan Gies
General FictionJan Gies was born in 1905, married to Miep Santruschitz in 1941 and helped to conceal Anne Frank and the other 7 occupants in hiding at 263 Prinsengracht. He is seen a heroin, as his own wife Miep. Here's his story :). P.S. This is emotional, pleas...
