Auguste van Pels

About

Remembered for her association with diarist Anne Frank, she died in the Holocaust after being discovered in the Amsterdam office building hiding quarters she shared for a time with the Frank family. She is referred to in The Diary of Anne Frank as "Petronella van Daan."

Before Fame

Born Auguste Rottgen, she grew up in Buer, Germany. She went into hiding with her own family and the Frank family in July of 1942.

Trivia

She is portrayed in Frank's diary as an excellent cook with a fiery personality.

Family Life

Her marriage to Hermann van Pels resulted in a son named Peter; she and her family members are all mentioned pseudonymously in Anne Frank's diary.

Associated With

She was imprisoned for a time with Anne and Margot Frank at the infamous Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, but she was later transferred to Theresiensdadt, where she ultimately died (some accounts claim that she passed away en route to the camp).