Anne Frank's Tree

The chestnut tree that stands outside what was the only non-covered window in the attic where Anne Frank was in hiding for 25 months, is scheduled to be cut down. The tree has stood for 150 years, but has become the victim of a tree fungus, which has overtaken it.

As this article mentions, the tree made several appearances in the diary and served as a source of inspiration and beauty in what was a very limited existence. On February 23, 1944 she wrote:

"Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs. From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind...."

And on May 13, 1944 she wrote:

“Our chestnut tree is in full blossom. It is covered with leaves and is even more beautiful than last year...”

While it is sad the tree must be taken down, it will live on in memory and on the net. There is a memorial to the tree here and until it is removed you can catch one last glimpse at the live webcam they have focused on the tree here.

It’s amazing that this tree has become such a source of inspiration to others. I had my own “man on the train” kind of moment while reading about it. We can never understand truly what it meant to Anne, but I think we all can identify with the idea of having something that would appear ordinary and meaningless to someone else, but with which we associate so much. There’s an old saying about the little things making life worth living, and there is a lot of truth to that. Anne found solace in the peace and majesty of the tree outside her window. It served a great purpose there for her and I’m happy that it existed.