Peter van Pels, known as "Van Daan", was born in 1925 and died in 1945.
Peter had to go into hiding when he was 15 years old.One week after the Frank family, they arrived at the hiding place.The Secret Annex had only one boy in it.
Peter was a descendant of the van Pels family.The family lived in Osnabrck.Peter's parents left because of the Nazis.The family moved to Amsterdam.
There are only a few pictures of Peter left.He is repairing a chair in the photo he took in Amsterdam.He is thought to have taken a course in furniture upholstery in 1942.
The Van Pels family hid in the Secret Annex when the number of forced labour calls increased in Nazi Germany.Otto Frank and Peter's father agreed that there was room for two families.
One week after the Frank family arrived, Peter and his parents arrived at the hiding place.He was allowed by his parents to bring his pet to the annex.
Peter was the only one who had his own room.Peter could often be found in the attic and loft of the Secret Annex, tinkering, doing carpentry, and chopping wood for the stove.
Peter wasn't very active in the Secret Annex.Otto Frank remarked that at first, Peter was lazy and disinterested, and that there was little contact between him and Margot and Anne.He was embarrassed to fall behind after the girls encouraged him to learn.
This is confirmed by an entry in Anne's diary from May 1944, where she wrote down what Peter was studying.Reads very little.Some geography.
Peter and Anne were closer to each other the longer they were in hiding.Anne needed someone to talk to about her feelings.They were spending more time together.
They talked about everything that worried them.Peter told Anne that he wanted to go to the Dutch E. Indies and live on a plantation.
Peter and Anne were in love.They kissed in the attic and in Peter's room.After a while, Anne realized that Peter wouldn't be her friend.Peter did not back off.
Peter was learning English with Otto Frank when the Dutch police raided the hiding place.Peter and the others were sent to the transit camp after the arrest.A fellow prisoner said that Peter and Anne were often together.
Peter and his parents were taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau on 3 September.He saw Anne and his mother for the last time on the platform.
Peter was assigned to the post room.He was able to get some extra food from time to time.He would share it with his father.His father was selected for the gas chambers by the Nazis.
The Nazi leadership decided to evacuate Auschwitz as the Soviet army approached.The prisoners who were still able to walk had to accompany them.
Otto Frank was in the sick barracks.He tried to convince Peter to hide in the sick barracks, but he wouldn't have it.He thought he had a good chance of surviving the march because he was fit.